M&C Saatchi has given gym and fitness brand, Les Mills, something unusual for its sector. An intriguing story. The agency was brought in to help define a unique tone and visual identity that would make people fall in love with fitness.
The agency’s answer was the personality, Les Mills, the person you want to be.
Who Is Les Mills? is the company’s first ever full brand campaign, released with emphasis on key dates, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year’s in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia. Its hero spot features a spoken word poem that describes the aspirational Les Mills persona (personas, really), illustrated by an edgy montage. It’s everything inspirational for youthful audiences and everything other gyms fail to be.
The 75-second film is supported by 4 x 15- and 4 x 6-second cutdowns running primarily in YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Russel Fox, creative director, M&C Saatchi, commented, “The fitness category is often overly reliant on big budgets and celebrity endorsements. Working closely with the in-house creative team at Les Mills, we focused on creating a unique tone of voice. One that’s confident, relatable and a little mysterious. Encouraging everyone, no matter their fitness level, to fall in love with fitness.”
Luke Waldren, chief customer officer, Les Mills International, added, “Our mission is to create a fitter planet and this new campaign offers a fresh, intriguing perspective on the many ways that people can work out with us. Who is les Mills is a playful and compelling expression of our ability to deliver world-class workouts to anybody, anytime, anywhere. It’s our biggest marketing campaign to date, designed to grow the fitness market by inspiring young people to reap the rewards of an active lifestyle.”
Credits:
Client: Les Mills International
Chief Customer Officer: Luke Waldren
Brand Marketing Manager: Gemma Jelicich
Global Creative Director: Dan Fantl
Global Design Director: Jessica Huynh
Creative Agency: M&C Saatchi Group
Chief Creative Officer: Cam Blackley
Managing Director: Michael McEwan
Executive Creative Director: Emma Robbins
Creative Director: Russel Fox
Senior Copywriter: Daniel Borghesi
Head of Strategy: Michael Hyde
Planning Director: Rebecca Heard
Senior TV Producer: Zoe Rixon
TV Producer: Steph Watt
Production Assistant: Sydnie Kendall
Senior Stills Retoucher: Richard Sellies
Business & Operations Director: Jayne Brady
Account Director: Sam Siddons
Director & Photographer: Josh Robenstone
DoP: Henry Cousins
Producer: Danny Braunstein
Offline editor: David Tse
Grade: Daniel Stonehouse
Online Editor: David Tse
Stylist: Abby Bennet
Audio Production: Final Sound
Producer: Pip Wright
Sound Engineer: Craig Conway
