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By Taruka Srivastava, Freelance journalist

September 20, 2022 | 3 min read

The Gym Group has unveiled the ‘Gym Face’ campaign to spotlight the ‘gymtimidation’ many feel when they go to work out for the first time.

As per the brand statement, research has found that one of the main barriers to fitness is gymtimidation – people feeling self-conscious and lacking confidence in the gym. To tackle this, it has created a memorable and amusing music-led idea, featuring supportive tracks that everyone can work out to.

The ‘Gym Face’ song is at the heart of the campaign – written by Lucky Generals and recorded by Leland Music – and will launch tomorrow (September 21) on all music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.

The song has been sung by stand-up comedian Will Hislop, who describes the various kinds of gym faces people have – from a sweaty face to a red face – to a not-so-confident first-time gymgoer. By the end of the song, the protagonist has a ‘gym face’ of their own too.

The music video and additional campaign assets will run across broadcast video on demand (BVOD), radio, digital out-of-home (DOOH), social and owned channels. The films were produced by Biscuit Filmworks and directed by the Spirit Award-nominated duo Jocelyn De Boer and Dawn Luebbe in their first UK shoot for a British advertising company.

Emily Kortlang, group brand and marketing director at The Gym Group, said: “‘Gymtimidation’ is a very real issue, particularly for women, as one in three non-gymgoers say they would feel out of place in the gym. We’re determined to reassure the nation that we understand their fears and will be there to support and cheer them on in their fitness journey – our whole group is behind them.

“We’re proudly mass market; but low-cost no longer needs to mean low-quality, and we wanted to reflect this confidence in our offering within the campaign. We needed a creative agency that would be up for challenging category norms. Lucky Generals is the perfect partner for us, and we are very proud of the firepower that is Gym Face.”

Danny Hunt, creative director at Lucky Generals, added: “‘We’re with you’ is a big idea that is going to show people that The Gym Group will do whatever it takes to support you on your fitness journey – starting with making gyms a bit less intimidating. Tonally, we decided the best way to stand out in what can sometimes be a cold and intimidating category is to be honest, insightful and to say things with a smile. Or, in this case, with a Gym Face...”

Credits

Brand: The Gym Group

Group brand and marketing director: Emily Kortlang

Head of marcom: Chris Jackson

Creative agency: Lucky Generals

Production company: Biscuit

Directors: Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe

Producer: Blair Smith

Editor: Darren Baldwin (Final Cut)

Post-production: Black Kite Studios

Post-production producer: Jade Denne

Sound design: Grand Central Recording Studios

Sound engineer: Munzie Thind

Music: Leland Music

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