VCCP Sydney follows up their “How did I get here?” campaign with a unique social experiment that examines the emotional impact fitness has on our lives. Over a three-month period Fitness First is removing fitness from three very fit people and adding it to three people who have barely set foot in a gym.

The campaign will explore the role exercise really does play in changing a life by encouraging people to look beyond the physical improvements that come with working out.

At the heart of the campaign is a four-part documentary web series in which Fitness First interviews each of the participants throughout the experiment, documenting their highs and lows to see how fitness can transform the way you feel – not just the way you look.

Fitness First’s BioScore assessment will benchmark where they currently stand with their health, fitness and lifestyle, and reveal where there is room for improvement. They’ll also track their activity level, sleep patterns, resting heart rate and daily mood rating to evaluate how their lives begin to change.

VCCP managing partner, David Kennedy-Cosgrove said, “The mental benefits of fitness are often deprioritised over the veneer of vanity. It’s a subject worth challenging. And for a fitness brand to abandon vanity to explore mentality is quite powerful.”

Supported by a heavy digital and social media presence, in-gym media and member communications the campaign is designed to defy the category by showing the world that there is more to fitness than the way you look.

VCCP ECD Gary Dawson added, “In a world saturated with imagery featuring the body-beautiful, this unique and revealing social experiment aims to dig deeper into the psyche of fitness. We’ve only just started and emotions are running high on both sides.”

Head of marketing at Fitness First, Samantha Bragg, said, “Our own research has told us that despite the best of intentions, a third of Australians throw in the towel after as little as one month simply because they fail to see physical improvements quickly enough.

“By focusing on feelings, we want to shed light on the role exercise plays in changing a life – not just a body – and inspire more people on the journey to enjoy the benefits fitness brings beyond the physical.”