This is what you see when you visit Club Physical’s Facebook page at the moment. A message that tells you “you belong” while simultaneously body shaming. It’s not the first time Club Physical has employed body shaming in an attempt to get customers to join their gyms – I live near one and bear witness to their awful roadside advertising. In fact, it’s not even the first time that they’ve run an ad using this idea – their own website said it was their “second most offensive ad, as measured by complaints to the Advertising standards Authority. But it worked.” They’re proud of this behaviour.
Would you want to give your money to a company that treated you like this? Image / Amber McCoy
But it’s not just on the side of the road (this was taken near Grey Lynn) – it’s in their social media, it’s even inside their gyms.
Taken inside Club Physical K Road. Image / Emma Joyce.
via Facebook
When complaints were made on their Facebook page, Club Physical were very blasé about the matter – this was their response:
This isn’t “shocking people into making change”, it’s body shaming. And that’s a shame, because from what I’ve heard, the gym staff at Club Physical are wonderful – they’re helpful, knowledgeable and not the body shaming nitwits that clearly grace the management and marketing teams.
If you want people to go to the gym, a place that holds large fears of inadequacies for a number of people of all sizes, don’t berate them and shame them into thinking they aren’t worth anything because they’re fat. Offer a supportive environment where people of all sizes and abilities can learn the joy of exercise, to revel in being strong and fit. Club Physical, you’re doing it wrong.
A Club Physical ad aimed at high school students. Like our kids don’t have enough body image issues to deal with at ages 12-18. via Facebook
A previous Club Physical ad that resulted in complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority. via Facebook
I hope people have more sense and pursue their health and fitness goals elsewhere, in an environment that is positive and accepting of all people of all levels of health, fitness and size. You are worth more than this – please don’t give your money to companies who have no respect for you!
I’d love to know your thoughts on Club Physical’s body shaming ad campaigns – does it make you want to join their gym?
Update: Club Physical responded to some of the comments left on their page overnight. Their response has not been well received.
Club Physical’s response to the complaints about their advertising / via Facebook
Some of the feedback to Club Physical’s response / via Facebook
Oh my god, this is atrocious! I’ve just complained to the ASA. What a disgusting attitude Club Physical have.
Un-PC for sure – but to be honest judging by your website you are promoting the whole big/morbidly obese is beautiful and yes there are some very beautiful big people but obesity is a medical condition and certainly not good/beautiful by any means. My mother is obese and she suffers from high blood pressure, depression, bordering on diabetic, heart disease now that she is older! So before you have a crack at others regarding their views have a good think about what you are promoting here! I’d take Club Physical anyday! As a whole they provide a genuine service regardless of what a few in the marketing team might have thought was a good idea!
Ahh Siobhan, do we really have to go over this again? I was so sure that I’d addressed crap like this in the past, but clearly you missed it. I don’t feel the need to promote anyone as a certain size as being more “beautiful” than another, because all bodies are good bodies, and deserve to be treated well. Besides which, is beauty really the be all and end all of your life? That’s just sad, I would like to think that women have more to offer the world than beauty. I promote self love and self respect – regardless of what size you might be. If I had a blog about the fact that I had … say cancer. Would you be saying that I’m “promoting cancer”? No. I happen to be fat and have a blog about fashion for plus sized women (who are marginalised by people with opinions such as yours) – I no more “promote obesity” than I promote being short, having brown eyes or having small hands. Please feel free to close the door on your way out.
Why would I want to sign up to a gym where I know even before I’ve walked in that I’m going to be body shamed? There’s no way of consider joining. And it almost makes it worse that it works on the assumption that because you’re plus size you’re unhealthy, unfit and unhappy but being 20kgs lighter not only makes you super happy, fit and healthy. I know small built girls who aren’t like that at all.
I am so disgusted by this, I really feel like making a formal complaint. They wouldn’t target a specific race as that is illegal, in my mind this is the same type of prejudice. How on earth do they continue to get away with this. I am just appalled at the lack of respect for their fellow humans. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if we were all skinny and perfect……life is not like that Club Physical, you are a disgrace.
When I see this ad it makes me just want to the complete opposite of what the ad is supposed to do. How dare they imply that I don’t in because I am overweight. In their world maybe I don’t but honestly if this is their tactics, why on earth would I pay to go to a gym that only serves to put me down. Shaming doesn’t work, end of. All it does is accentuate the feeling of self loathing and pushes people into thinking they will never be good enough no matter what they do. If someone wants to make a change, then they have to be ready to and committed to making a change, no amount of bullying, shaming will change it, ever. This is simply not acceptable, and never will be, yet they seem to think it will do the trick….Yeah Right!
When I joined City Fitness here in Christchurch, the head trainer asked what I wanted out of going to the gym. I told him I didn’t want to focus on weight loss because too often it has a negative effect on the entire process, rather I wanted to reach a point where I didn’t need to alter the arm-scye when sewing shirts/dresses (the bit where the arm attaches to the shoulder) He said it was a great goal, and it was better to exercise for reasons other than weight loss, because all too often it really did come across negatively, especially when you started gaining muscle and as such your weight didn’t go down as much. I love their gym. They don’t shame anyone for their size/weight, and it’s a real mix of people – not all ‘gym-bunnies’. Lots of professionals, parents, students – it’s a lovely environment because you never feel pressured to do more than you want to or can.
The one thing I take solace in from the Club Physical ad is that people like us who are caring and kind and proud will be taken on starship trips and see the universe and reach the stars, and cruel, bigotted, bullying people like those at Club Physical will be left behind and not get that opportunity!
Sounds like you’ve found a great gym Heather – good work City Fitness Christchurch! Exercising with goals other than weight loss is great. I LOVE your outlook on that Club Physical ad, that starship trip sounds like a marvellous adventure xM
That Ad actually makes me angry. Im a member of Club Physical and their staff/trainers are amazing, so helpful and really make you feel welcome and even poke fun at their own flabby bits and how they are not perfect even though they do it for a job, which is so refreshing (I’ve lost 25kgs over the past 2 years so while Im not large, I still have parts of my body I am not happy with).
Its such a shame that the hard work they put in is being undermined by their crappy marketing department, who think its ok for them to fat shame people like this. Its really making me reconsider my membership there, especially after I saw the big ladies posters yesterday as I believe gyms should be supportive of everyone regardless of their size.
That’s what makes me sad Amy – I’m sure there are lots of great trainers at Club Physical! It’s so unfortunate that their marketing department is seriously dropping the ball.
Its the main reason I have stayed at CP even though I can get a much much cheaper gym membership at uni, because I really like and trust the trainers, its just so sad that their reputations are beinng tarnished by stuff like this.
I don’t agree with the campaign AT ALL, but what really puts me off is their terrible attitude about it.
I am sure opportunity, support and respect go much further than shock tactics.
I am more likely to partake in services where my body size is not focused on as being my reason for being there. In case such as this, knowing that the gym as already pigeonholed me as “one of the fat ones” rather than focusing on me as an individual, with personal motivations means I would not go close to the place, I cannot see them as treating me with respect or due care.
When I lived in Auckland I was a member of club physical, and kept them in the back of my mind should I move back, however following this type of marketing I am unlikely to re-join, and will no longer recommend them.
I’m already quoted in this post but I just have to say that we should be celebrating anyone (no matter your size) who wants to go to the gym and improve their health. I don’t think anyone should be criticized for trying their best.
Saying that, I did have to laugh when I saw the adverts. They are just so out of touch that they’re funny in a very sad way.
That is offensive on so many levels!
This is absolutely disgusting and they should be ASHAMED of themselves.
This is disgusting! This is no way to make fat people to join a gym – it makes me want to stay far far away from there. I’m so glad that my gym has always been welcoming and encouraging to me and other ‘big ladies’, and I love going there and exercising.
This disgusts me, they are just bullies, it seems to me that the don’t want fat people coming into their gym to get fit, they just want already slim and fit people, like some kind of elitist “club”. Its gyms like this that scare people away from even trying a gym, I wouldn’t work out anywhere that made me feel this self conscious. No one ever hated themselves healthy, someone needs to tell CP this.
Why are they openly mocking the people in the poster who are clearly doing what CP encourages… exercising! Shows that they don’t support or respect overweight people, no matter if they’ve been ‘shocked’ into making a change or not.
Wow, that makes me want to walk in the doors *insert sarcasm here*
I have to laugh as well that they clearly don’t check their facts – in 2014 the obesity epidemic was “reaching 63%” and just a year later it’s only 50%. Wow they’ve made a huge difference *insert more sarcasm*
Incredibly humiliating and discriminatory. Makes me very very sad there are still companies who feel the need to shame people about the way they look.
Gotta love a company that uses mockery and shame tactics as a business model. I’m sure all those people they’re trying to “shock into action ” are going to use a company that makes fun of them. No matter what rubbish excuse they use, this ad campaign is insensitive and rude. Fat shaming seems to be one of those things that people still find acceptable, if this ad said “quick! Grab the brown ones first” then people would riot. Yet this is apparently ok?!