A Creative Review: Equinox
In this week’s, “Creative Review”, Coop is fired up about the messaging behind Equinox’s latest advertising campaign. Maybe it was because he was stuck on a subway for an hour with a sick passenger, maybe it was because his morning tea and crumpets were cold, who knows, but one thing is for sure, he’s bringing out the negative energy.
In theory the internet should save advertising - at least the creative part of it.
Let me explain. In theory everyone should know everything about all products by now. In theory you should know everything about Equinox because you can just look at their site online or talk to your friends who have been there via the social network of your choice. So, in theory, all advertising - especially large format like OOH, should have to do is show some attitude and remind you to go purchase. In other words it’s there to build a brand. So the internet should be a boon for creative advertising. And yet rarely does it work like that.
These equinox ads are an attempt at pure brand advertising though. So I’m gonna give them props for that. No matter that they are very similar to the Jambox ads, again, you don’t need to know anything about the product, you should already know what a Jambox does and why it’s better than a Bose box or whatever. The Jambox, like Equinox, is an enabler.
These ads are fantasy. They are all about showing the person you want to be. Forgive me a little for my rant here. I hate gyms. I associate them with being injured because the only time I ever go to gyms is when I’m having rehab. Couple of torn ACLs playing soccer and a fucked up IT Band when training for the marathon. So I might not be the best person to comment on these ads, but that never stopped me before. In my head, Gyms = Tools. What can I say? There is almost nothing any gym brand could do - especially in the US - that would make be believe I’m not going to be sharing machines with preening juice heads.
Probably every gym thinks they will be the gym that is not known for tools. I can see that strategy - even though they are your core paying customer - there is a strategy of, ‘We are not like the other places. We are for cool, chilled out, sophisticated, dudes who may or may not have been schooled in Europe and appreciate a vintage Benz’. Well listen, I am that fucking dude. And I don’t buy it. I’ve been to the Tribeca Equinox and I didn’t see any of these guys there. Just bros in tanks, lifting.
So what is this ad for? I think it might be more for people who have already got their equinox membership. If you really want new sign ups I think you do a pretty flat out deal based message. This strikes me as the ad that makes you feel good about the fact that you pay for something each month or you paid the whole year in January. It makes you feel good about your purchase and continuing loyalty to Equinox. It re-affirms that you are on the road to cool, not driving a muscle car but a sweet seventies Mercedes.
Advertising can do that.