Sport England's "This Girl Can" campaign has done a lot in recent years to encourage women to get back into sport and fitness activities despite the factors that hold them back, such as body image and lack of time. Now, the U.K. government-backed organization is targeting young men, particularly those who have given up on fitness during the pandemic. 

Agency FCB Inferno has created a series of cute animations in which sneakers, a gym bag, a basketball, rugby ball, roller skates and other items of exercise equipment croon about how they miss their owners. The 15-second films are running on social and online video and are aimed at a broad, national audience of men of all ages.

Sport England research found that the pandemic has had a huge impact on the mental health of many young men, leading to a drop in levels of activity. "Their whole wellbeing has been impacted from a career, social, physical and financial perspective, with TV, streaming and gaming replacing their once-loved hobbies," the organization noted in the research.

“Over the last two years whilst new habits have been formed there are lots of habits including exercise regimes that have been broken," added Sharon Jiggins, executive vice president at FCB Inferno. "Our new social campaign is a tongue-in-cheek reminder to get people to once again pick up their exercise equipment that has been sadly missing them! We want to remind people to get back to the sport they love.”

“The activity levels of 16–34-year-old men were hit hard by the pandemic, so we must remind them of how exercise makes them feel and the benefits it brings," added Kate Dale, campaign director at Sport England. "Whether it’s the social connections from 5-a-side football or the joy of clearing your head after work with a run, we want 'Join the Movement' to help get young men back to activities that they love.”