There’s a silver lining in lockdown. It’s an opportunity to boost one’s fitness. Staying active also promotes not just healthy bodies but also healthy minds – both of which Sport England works to achieve.
Encouraging people to do that is a challenge. According to Sport England’s research (Savanta ComRes research for Sport England), 38% of adults in England did less physical activity or exercise in the week to April 20, compared to a typical week before the restrictions, even though 66% said they had more time to be physically active and 63% that it’s more important to be active in the current climate.
Earlier this month, Sport England and FCB Inferno launched a national campaign to inspire people to stay active at home during the coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak, inviting the public to share their own experiences and join the movement online using the hashtag, #StayInWorkOut.
This week, they’ve released two films, showing some of the most imaginative at home exercises the campaign has inspired.
The 30- and 60-second films, which are backed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and funded by The National Lottery, a running on TV in the UK, social, and digital, and are aimed at a broad, national audience of men and women of all ages. They are accompanied by web content supporting people who want to get active with their children and the over 70s, as well as a 30- and 60-second radio ad voiced by Mel Giedroyc of English comedy duo, Mel and Sue.
The campaign hashtag has been mentioned nearly 13,000 times since the campaign went live at the end of March and is estimated to have reached almost 150 million users on Twitter alone. Many of these users have been sharing their tips for staying active, including family dance routines, indoor skateboarding, and martial arts, among many others.
The film encourages people with a sense of fitness fun. It shows some of the ingenious user-generated content the campaign has inspired, harnessing the public’s optimism and resilience, and covers the vast range of the Uk population – from Paralympian, Lucy Shuker, to Rajindar Singh, a 73 year old from Berkshire dubbed the ‘Skipping Sikh’ due to his sharing his daily workouts on social media.
The film is set to Fatboy Slim’s Rockafeller Skank. Fatboy Slim has also been working tirelessly to unite the nation, from hosting Friday tea-time mixtapes to keep the nation dancing, to assisting ten-year-old daughter, Nelly’s, live stream of her 50-minute debut DJ set over the Easter weekend, and even organising a free celebratory concert on Brighton Beach for frontline workers at the end of lockdown.
Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s chief executive officer, commented, “Keeping active has never been more important when you consider the profound benefits it can have for our mental health and physical well being. We’ve launched this advert today to celebrate all the diverse ways the public have been keeping active, whether at home with their family or alone and help people feel connected through a shared joy of moving.
“We are now in the second phase of lockdown and we want people to continue to feel inspired so that fatigue doesn’t set in, much like we see after January. People’s relationship with activity has had to change as gyms and sports clubs are closed, and we’re staying at home more. We’re aiming to show that it is possible to stay active, and even gain new habits, no matter your age or background. We’d encourage people to Join the Movement, share their own content using #StayInWorkOut and check out the website for free workout tips.”
Sharon Jiggins, executive vice president at FCB Inferno, added, “As the country’s lockdown continues, it’s been incredible to see the public response to the campaign. Exercise is important for both physical and mental wellbeing, and this film celebrates the ingenious and sometimes unusual ways of staying active. Over the years, our work for Sport England has been recognised for its focus on casting real people and, our hope is that our #StayInWorkOut heroes will inspire many others to get moving.”
Credits:
Agency: FCB Inferno
Chief Creative Officer: Owen Lee
Senior Copywriter: Sarah Lefkowith
Senior Art Director: Nicole Chen
Joint Design Lead: Becci Salmon
Executive Vice President: Sharon Jiggins
Senior Account Director: Emily Whiteaway
Account Manager: Becky Glover
Strategy Director: Laura Pirkis
Director of Production: Nikki Chapman
Head of Business Affairs: Caio Silva
Directors: Nicole Chen & Sarah Lefkowith
Editing: Mark Wheelan @The Quarry
Motion Graphics: Jonny Stopford
Post Production: Design Unit
Sound: James Lyme @ No.8
Casting and Footage Research: Emilie Terrier
Casting Producer: Laura Hawkes