BLOK

Movement for every body: building a global community for east London’s coolest fitness brand

Image credit: @MaxOppenheim

THE CHALLENGE

When BLOK opened its doors in 2016, it would have been hard to find a more Instagrammable gym brand. This art-focused studio, founded in an industrial tram depot in Clapton and later expanding to spaces in Shoreditch and Manchester, created a unique identity by blending fitness, creativity, and sleek editorial-style campaigns, all under the expert eye of acclaimed fashion photographer Max Oppenheim.

The proposition was unique in that the training was challenging but progressive, the team were welcoming and inclusive, and this was reflected in the diversity of fitness backgrounds among their members. However, in their commitment to fitness, BLOK’s brand imagery and message, which featured impressive feats of athleticism, was aspirational to some new members but intimidating to others.

BLOK needed people to know that everyone was welcome in their community, regardless of whether they knew their burpee from their box jump.

In a pre-COVID fitness landscape that was dominated by punishing bootcamp-style workouts that chased aesthetics and results, BLOK wanted to shake off any elite imagery and position themselves as the feel-good training partner that could help everyone to learn, progress and fall in love with movement.

While retaining their strong aesthetic identity, they needed to stand out in a crowded market by communicating that their studios were a lifestyle and a community - not just a place to work out.

OUR RESPONSE?

Softening the brand tone of voice and messaging.
Focussing on promoting skills progression.
Encouraging cross-training with new disciplines.
Building body literacy through education.
Promoting community and inclusivity. 

THE BREAKDOWN

  • Hosting a series of workshops with senior management and staff, where we developed TOV and brand voice guidelines that retained BLOK’s core identity but instilled a sense of accessibility and approachability.

  • Bringing the unique personalities of the instructors to life via Instagram videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and interview series.

  • Producing educational Instagram content series, including a Cross-Discipline Training manifesto, which promoted exploring different exercise methods, building skills, knowledge, and training for life.

  • Launching BLOK’s editorial platform BLOKeditions, which widened BLOK’s reach through on-trend and SEO-charged fitness articles and reached new target audiences across the country.

  • Leading UGC campaigns and dedicated microsites to showcase the diverse range of fitness levels, backgrounds, and training goals of BLOK’s diverse members. This included billboard ads, monthly social media takeovers, interview series, and in-studio ads.

  • Creating editorial content to support BLOK’s diversity and inclusivity campaigns from Black Lives Matters series to LGBTQIA+ month takeovers with a series of guest influencers.

  • Pivoting content and messaging throughout the pandemic to build a bigger digital audience via inspiring on-demand video content.

DELIVERABLES

Tone of voice playbook / Member editorial series + microsite / Billboard campaign slogans / Monthly magazine-style newsletters / Trend forecasts / Editorial site and content / Social media copy / Print magazine creative