Why Planet Fitness is starting its New Year’s campaign early this year

New Year’s is coming early for Planet Fitness this year. The gym chain is known for running a marketing campaign every Dec. 31, in conjunction with its Times Square New Year’s Eve sponsorship. While Planet Fitness will continue the sponsorship, now in its 10th year, its new ad campaign “We’re All Strong on This Planet” will begin nearly a week earlier, on Dec. 25. “We are doing a bit of market warming this year starting on Christmas Day,” said Jamie Medeiros, chief brand officer at Planet Fitness. “Being a bit earlier allows us to tell our story with people being really tuned into a lot of the NFL games and things that are high-profile on Christmas Day where we will have a presence.” NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today While in previous years the company has featured celebrities, such as Megan Thee Stallion, who appeared as part of the Times Square event last year, and Lindsay Lohan, who was featured in the brand’s Super Bowl spot in 2022, the new campaign pursues a more every-person approach. An anthem video showcases how Planet Fitness can personalize the fitness experience for its members trying to reach their individual goals by offering different equipment for all. “At Planet Fitness, no two members are alike,” says a voiceover in the spot. “But they all have one thing in common—they’re all strong.” “It leans into this idea that strength simply isn’t a goal people have, it’s a feeling,” said Medeiros of the new tagline. “We tried to tap into that emotion that no matter your motivation or the definition you have for success, it’s very individual.” Planet Fitness worked with Special U.S. for the first time on the new brand work. The Hampton, New Hampshire-based chain will still continue to work with Barkley, its agency of record, Medeiros confirmed. Crossmedia handled media duties. The campaign includes one 30-second spot and four 15-second spots that will run on both linear and connected TV. Planet Fitness will also run the push on its owned channels such as its app and on social media, and invest in an integration with the New Year’s Eve Times Square takeover. The push also highlights new equipment, including bench presses and seated calf machines, that Planet Fitness is rolling out in 2025. The new strength-related tagline also taps into the GLP-1 weight loss drug use trend, in which strength training is encouraged to build muscle mass. Several fitness brands, such as Equinox and Life Time Fitness, have introduced programs geared toward GLP-1 users. “When we think about Ozempic or a GLP-1, we know everyone has an individual fitness journey,” said Medeiros. This campaign and “shifts we’re making to equipment allow us to lean into strength because we know strength is an important part of that GLP-1 trend,” she added. Read more: GLP-1 marketing trends as brands hop on the craze Last month, Planet Fitness announced that its third-quarter revenue climbed 5% to $292.2 million; net income rose to $42 million, up from $39.1 million a year earlier. Read Ad Age’s Best of 2024 stories here

Why Planet Fitness is starting its New Year’s campaign early this year

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