• by Sarah Mahoney , 6 hours ago

While late December often signals post-cookie sloth for consumers, it’s go time for gyms. As resolution season approaches, major chains are rolling out campaigns designed to motivate — and differentiate — in a crowded, competitive market.

Crunch is leaning hard into music and nostalgia with its new “Crunch: Feel More” campaign, built around the 1995 hit “This Is How We Do It.” The work includes a 90-second hero spot, 30-second ads, and social cutdowns, styled as high-energy ’90s-era music videos.

The campaign was shot by director Hype Williams, known for his work with artists including Beyoncé, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J and Missy Elliott, and was created by agency Familiar Creatures.

While the effort builds on Crunch’s “Feel Good, Not Bad” platform launched in 2023, the brand says this iteration reflects what younger members are craving right now: relief, community, and moments of joy. Tapping into ’90s and early-2000s nostalgia felt especially apt, says Crunch CMO Chad Waetzig, given the brand’s roots.

“Our research continues to show that, in an increasingly stressful world, our younger members are seeking an escape, and that’s where working out at Crunch fits in,” Waetzig tells Marketing Daily via email. “But we don’t just want them to feel good — we want them to feel more.”

The music-video framing also allowed Crunch to showcase its recently introduced Crunch 3.0 gym concept, which features upgraded design and amenities such as Olympic lifting platforms and Relax & Recover services.

The campaign is the biggest in the brand's history, with 2026 media spending up 25% from this year’s levels, and significant investments in premium CTV, YouTube, TikTok, and, for the first time, Twitch.

Crunch is dialing back cable TV in favor of YouTubeTV. And Waetzig says that at the performance marketing level, franchisees are making substantial investments in Meta, TikTok and Snapchat, as well as out-of-home advertising and direct mail.  

If Crunch is betting on energy and nostalgia, Planet Fitness is taking a different approach, rooted in timing, humor and price. In a departure from the usual January launch window, the chain rolled out a national campaign in the final days of December, encouraging consumers to “finish strong” before resolutions fade.

Ads from Barkley highlighted a special offer, joining with just $1 down, $15 a month, and no payments until mid-January. Another spot, this one from Special US, pretends to be your TV, ostensibly down with you spending the last days of 2025 binging whatever. “But if I had a body,” it says, “I’d finish the year differently.”

To extend the effort into 2026, Planet Fitness added a celebrity element, tapping Joe Jonas for social content. The goal, the brand says, is to stay top of mind as consumers transition from holiday recovery to fitness intentions.