National fitness club chain GoodLife Fitness is defining the “good life” for Canadians as part of a new integrated campaign from Toronto agency Doug & Serge.
The campaign debuted online Sept. 1, with an overarching 60-second spot defining the “good life” not as achieving a perfect body or becoming a super-athlete, but as being “totally alive in every fibre, every thought, every moment.” The spot is currently available on YouTube and at GoodLifeFitness.com.
“It’s not about magazine covers; it’s about pictures on your mantle,” says a voiceover atop images of people engaged in activities like dancing and playing with their kids, nary an abdominal crunch or leg lift in sight. “It’s about playing with your kids at the park, feeling like a kid yourself.”
And more good news for people wishing to embark on a healthier lifestyle: the good life can also include ice cream, beer and pizza. With the right exercise, of course.
The spot features an anthemic song commissioned by Doug & Serge that will also be played in GoodLife clubs across the country, and is available for download at GoodLifeFitness.com.
The fitness chain’s new brand positioning, “The good life. Made easy,” will also be supported by a 30-second TV spot and multiple radio executions, as well as direct mail and in-club merchandising.
It is the agency’s first work for London, Ont.–based GoodLife since winning the account in June, and chief creative officer Doug Robinson said it represents a new marketing approach in a category that has traditionally relied on price point and offer-type marketing to recruit and retain clients.
“Brand advertising can reach consumers on a more emotional level, while the tactical advertising can reach them on a more functional level: price, location and things like that,” said Robinson. “Most brands in this category only function on the latter.”
“We’re trying to make an emotional connection, so when people think of ‘the good life’ they think of our club in a very non-threatening, non-intimidating, positive manner, as opposed to your typical fitness club where you’ve got the chiseled, six-pack hard-bodies lifting weights,” added John Muszak, GoodLife’s vice-president of marketing. “We’re more of a lifestyle club and that’s what our marketing reflects.”
Robinson said the campaign objective is to underscore the fact that being physically fit can enhance every part of life, and that GoodLife can help people take that important first step. The campaign is targeting adults 35+, with a slight female skew.
