Flipping the Fitness Script
Hjaltelin Stahl / FitnessDK
Year
2010
Summary
In spring 2010, Fitnessdk faced crushing price wars and body-ideal messaging from bigger gyms. We flipped the script: what if fitness made you too hot?
Over 2–3 months, we launched “Lidt for lækker” across four self-aware TVCs (70 000+ views in the first three weeks), print and outdoor ads, Facebook stunts (badges, status hacks, photo sweeps) and an interactive Flash campaign site.
I led art direction and animation on the site’s motion-driven episodes, sketched and produced all visual assets, and designed the social-media mechanics that let users de-hot themselves—or their friends—online.
It got attention. It got people laughing. But in a market built on discounts, attention alone didn’t move the needle on sign-ups.
My Role / Team
Art Direction
Visual Design
Motion Graphics
Shahab Ghanavati – AD
Anne Sophie Leise-Hansen – AD
Peter Strenge Echwald – AD
Martin Mohr – CD
Nikolaj Stahl – ECD
and many more
The Campaign Films
The 4 Character Stories
Each film introduces a victim of fitness success—and their ridiculous way of coping with being a bit too lækker. I designed the visual style, transitions, and animation pacing across all four stories. Below each, you’ll find context and what we aimed for.
Mads – Diaper Man
Role: Slow-motion show-off drowning in stares
Solution: Sports an adult diaper for an instant “cool off”
Kasper – Fish Ritual
Role: Ambitious gym bro obsessed with gains
Solution: Wipes down with kulmule (fish) to kill his allure
Julie – Salami Wig
Role: Reluctant runner whose gains attract unwanted notice
Solution: Hides under a Cleopatra-style salami wig
Sara – Pipe Smoker
Role: Spa and wellness devotee overwhelmed by attention
Solution: Takes up an oversized pipe to dampen the vibe
Interactive Campaign Site
Step into Freja’s world: pick a story, watch film, and take social action
Users entered the site via banners, promos, or Facebook, then followed Freja through four mini-films. Along the way, they could: Select any story in any order, Nominate friends with “Lidt for lækker” badges, Delete their photos for a free month, Post pre-written “nasty” statuses
Social Mechanics & Campaign Impact
Get social: de-hot yourself (and friends) on Facebook
To extend our “Lidt for lækker” universe beyond the campaign site, we built a suite of Facebook integrations that turned social media into an arena for tackling—or trolling—hotness. These features let users actively participate in the joke, drive peer-to-peer engagement, and funnel buzz back to Fitnessdk. Below are the four core tools and how each worked.
Nasty Badges
What it is: A badge you send to up to five friends who’ve “become a bit too hot.”
How it works: You click “Send a Nasty Badge,” connect via Facebook, select your friends, and they receive a post inviting them to accept the badge. When they accept, a badge image appears on their profile—and you’re entered into the weekly iPod Nano draw.
Photo Purge
What it is: A one-click delete-all-your-Facebook-photos feature.
How it works: You click “Delete My Photos,” connect via Facebook, and all your profile photos move to a virtual trash. You then receive a coupon for one free month at Fitnessdk—and an entry in the weekly iPod Nano draw.
Ugly Status Updates
What it is: Pre-written “nasty” status messages you can post to tone down your hotness.
How it works: Click “Update My Status,” choose one of the preset messages (e.g., “I pick my nose on the bus”), and post it via Facebook Connect. Each update counts as an entry in the iPod Nano draw.
Ugly Gallery
What it is: A public gallery on the Fitnessdk fan page filled with odd, comedic images.
How it works: Click “Go to Gallery” to open the fan-page gallery, then tag any friend in any image. Each tag posts on both your wall and theirs—and tags redirect viewers back to the campaign site.
Impact & Takeaways
We warned people they might get too hot. They listened—and clicked—but in a market fixated on deals, clicks alone didn’t cut it. Here’s what we know so far:
Buzz & Engagement:
Campaign site drove traffic from banners, Facebook and in-gym promos.
Social tools (badges, status updates, photo purge) generated peer-to-peer chatter.
Brand Perception:
Fitnessdk went from stiff and serious to self-aware and playful.
Media and user comments noted the campaign’s irreverence.
Conversion Gap:
Despite strong social traction, we saw no sustainable lift in trial sign-ups in the 2010 spring campaign window.
The free-month photo purge offer got some redemptions, but overall membership growth remained flat.
Key Lesson:
A brilliant brand stunt can’t replace competitive pricing or sales incentives. Next time, layer in a clear membership offer alongside the joke—so we convert attention into action.
Some wash off hotness with fish. You do you.
