• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 10, 2022

Planet Fitness is introducing a new campaign, promising members a post-workout glow that will have them dancing out of the gym. And they'll get a free Amazon Halo View wearable just for signing up.

The effort is aimed at promoting the fitness chain's PF Black Card membership. It stars a very peppy Planet Fitness employee grooving to "The Glow," a 1980s funk classic. Those who sign up for the premium membership, priced at $25 a month, also get the Amazon Halo View. (It also includes a year's free access to Halo's workouts, features and programs.)

The campaign focuses on how the wearable amplifies the benefits of working out, improving mood, energy levels and sleep quality, and plays up the synergy between the two brands.

"Planet Fitness is a judgment-free zone, positioned around making fitness affordable and accessible," says Jamie Medeiros, chief brand officer of Planet Fitness. "Amazon Halo has a very similar viewpoint. And so when we went in to create this campaign together, it was simple -- we just want to get more people moving."

Halo helps people "stick to fitness and provides consumers with a tool that works outside the four walls of our club," she says. "And this enables both brands to shine."

Barkley, based in Kansas City, created the campaign, which includes a 60-second spot, a 30-second version, and a TikTok challenge that encourages fans to #GlowUsYourMoves. Participants also get a chance to win one of ten $500 Amazon gift cards. There's also a custom AR "Glow" filter people can use on TikTok and Snapchat.

The Black Card membership isn't new, but Medeiros tells Marketing Daily this is the first time the chain has used such a substantial giveaway to boost membership: The Halo View costs $80.

Besides highlighting the positive impact of the device, the campaign also lays out the perks of Black Card membership, including the ability to bring a friend, use any of its 2,000 clubs, and have access to the chain's Black Card spa, with its massage chairs.

As was true before the pandemic, gym marketing follows a predictable pattern, with limited-time promotions running in November, when people focus more on holiday parties than toning up their abs.

Medeiros says the campaign does feature changes in media planning, mainly involving the TikTok challenge and stepped-up use of social media influencers to get people interested in that post-workout glow.

Medeiros says the ultimate goal is to get people refocused on the broader benefits of fitness. "Anything Planet Fitness and Amazon can do to get more people off the couch is important. People are looking for something to feel better, whether that's more energy, better sleep, improved mood. The goal of this is to lean into those intrinsic benefits of fitness," she says. "You're never going to regret working out."

Separately, the Hampton, New Hampshire-based fitness chain announced strong quarterly results, with revenue rising 58.4% to $244.4 million. And membership hit a new record at 16.6 million.