Digitally Fit

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a bat, club, ball, hoop, set of cleats, or even a field to enjoy the social interaction, teamwork, friendly competition, and healthy exercise offered through sports. Actually, I take that back. You may still need a ball - a medicine ball that is. Very recently, Reebok - the international shoe and athletic apparel manufacturer famous for such favorites as its Allen Iverson I3s and its Reebok Classics - began to unveil a completely integrated marketing campaign aimed at changing the way consumers think about sports, as well as as fitness. Aptly titled "The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived," the company's promotional program showcases a type of physically and mentally taxing workout that has taken the world by storm in recent years: CrossFit (described below). Together, Reebok and CrossFit - with the assistance of mcgarrybowen, a New York ad agency - plan to use a variety of media (mostly under Reebok's name) to prove that fitness, in and of itself, not only results in increased strength, endurance, and mental "toughness," but also the satisfaction provided by the camaraderie, competition, and shared goals/achievement found in traditional sports.

'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' kicked off on January 15th (via a commercial that aired on Fox while the New York Giants laid a "whoopin'" on the Green Bay Packers), although Reebok had the base advertisement available for viewing on YouTube as of January 4th. Take a look at the spot below, or, as Reebok would say, "3. 2. 1...Go!"

Actually, the above video, which provides a brief look at the grueling nature of CrossFit and how it produces superior results (I don't know if you noticed the man in the background performing inverted shoulder presses - I dare you to tell me that you have the strength to do that), hints at one of the ways in which 'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' will seek to create engaging consumer experiences. To encourage the adoption of CrossFit, Reebok plans to transport shipping containers - hopefully red, like in the video - to city centers around the world that contain enough equipment for a 15 person WOD (Workout of the Day - a term described below). In doing so, the firm hopes to not only encourage men and women to adopt CrossFit as their exercise mechanism of choice, but to also successfully prove that 'The Sport of Fitness' can be performed any time, any where.

Not The Same Old Song And Dance

'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived'
generates Twitter activity

As I touched on above, 'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' communicates the Reebok/Crossfit brand across multiple media platforms; it is a integrative marketing campaign, not just another run-of-the-mill television commercial accompanied by a set of flyers. In addition to the YouTube/broadcast spot you just witnessed, as well as the worldwide "WOD Tour", as I like to call it, the fitness duo's promotional efforts will also appear across Social Media (Reebok's Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages are currently devoted to the program), Print channels, TV, Outdoor Display, and a host of freshly-constructed Microsites. Moreover, 'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' features known athletes from a wide range of disciplines: CrossFit superstars Rich Froning ("The Fittest Man on Earth" 2011 - CrossFit games) and Annie Thorisdottir ("The Fittest Woman on Earth" 2011 - Cross Fit Games), both seen in the above video; NFL players Chad Ochocinco and Roddy White; MLB All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander; F1 driver Lewis Hamilton; and NBA Guard John Wall (Washington Wizards), among others. Not only will the athletes assist Reebok/CrossFit in constructing a new outlook on fitness, they will also showcase some of Reebok's key brands, such as RealFlex and ZigTech.

Reebok Lives Its Brand

Although 'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' (and CrossFit) places a new twist on both sports and fitness, it does not represent the first time that Reebok has endeavored to drive consumer action in a positive manner. During the 1980s - amidst the days of synthesizer-laden tunes, wild hair, bright/zany clothing, and a whole lot of spandex - Reebok led the way in the women's exercise movement through products and programs such as the Freestyle and Step Reebok, respectively. In doing so, the company made fitness appealing to many individuals, carved out its name in the market, and raked in a vast amount of rightfully-earned profit. Fast-forward to 2010, the year in which Reebok and CrossFit joined forces with a shared mission to provide people around the world with the power to increase their physical capacity and improve their lives. This up-beat, high-energy partnership has resulted in widespread awareness of CrossFit as a legitimate sport, the annual Reebok CrossFit games, CrossFit-specific footwear and apparel, and a series of Reebok-CrossFit exercise facilities, better known as CrossFit "Boxes" (I know, there's a lot of "CrossFit" going on in that previous sentence).

Oh, I almost forgot, the Reebok team devoted to the new movement does not consist of a bunch of market-share hungry marketers, number-crunching accountants, and pencil-pushing managers; they "ain't frontin'," neither. Each week, over 400 Reebok employees head over to Reebok CrossFit One - the company's sponsored facility (Canton, Mass., 2010) - in order to enjoy a grueling WOD. And, nearly 1000 Reebok staff from around the globe regularly choose CrossFit as their daily form of exercise. If that doesn't spell dedication for you, it may "tickle" you to know that roughly 100 Reebok employees have completed the CrossFit Level 1 training course. If you ever wanted to discover how to "live your brand," these Reebok personnel supply you with a definite example each and every week.

Arrived And Here To Stay

How has 'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' played out for Reebok and CrossFit so far? Well, if Social Media activity stands as any indication, pretty damn good. The short, 1-minute spot seen above has generated over 3 million views on YouTube (not to mention the collective 250,000+ views from four videos that have appeared on the Reebok channel in the previous 2 weeks) - quite the figure when you consider that 1 million YouTube plays has been identified as the marketer's "magic number" for spurring online action - hundreds of daily Re-Tweets and @Mentions via the #reebokcrossfit hashtag (as well as related hashtags) on Twitter, and an extensive amount of Facebook activity via Reebok's uploaded CrossFit photos, WODs, and general fitness insights. If I had to venture an educated guess, "The Sport of Fitness" has not only arrived; it's here to stay, and I am more than OK with that.

CrossFit...In A Nutshell

According to the CrossFit Journal, a publication made available by CrossFit Inc., "CrossFit is a strength and conditioning system based on varied, if not randomized, functional movements at high intensity (emphasis added)." In essence, CrossFit combines a wide array of exercise formats - weightlifting, gymnastics, running/sprinting, plyometrics, kettlebell training, rowing, and power lifting - in an effort to build a healthy degree of proficiency in 10 physical skills: strength, cardiovascular endurance, stamina, flexibility, power, speed, agility, coordination, balance, and accuracy. To accomplish such objectives, CrossFit relies on various types of equipment and individualized/combination activities, ranging from bodyweight exercises and rope-climbing to the movement of large objects such as tires and sand bags.

A typical CrossFit workout, which takes place in a sanctioned facility dubbed a CrossFit Box, often includes some sort of warm-up, a time-period devoted to skill development, and (usually) a 10-25 minute Workout of the Day (WOD). Each WOD focuses on both efficiency and form, and also holds a different fitness objective, targeting varying muscle groups and/or one or more of the 10 physical skills outlined above. Moreover, while some CrossFit Boxes craft their own customized sessions, most typically follow the WOD posted by CrossFit.com, which usually bears the name of a woman, such as the ever-famous "Fran" or "Grace." All (sanctioned) CrossFit WODs are led by certified instructors in a team environment, which highlights the concepts of community, competition, and shared goals/achievement that Reebok/CrossFit espouse in 'The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' marketing campaign.

Andrew's Advice - Training Tips, Nutrition Notes, and Healthy Habits

Training Tip (February 4th 2012):

Test yourself - Try CrossFit

Did you really expect me to devote an entire post to CrossFit, provide you with the requisite 411 about it, and then not tell you to give it a shot? As I hinted at above, CrossFit combines the best of all forms of fitness, packages them into an extremely efficient workout, and then proceeds to kick your a$$ and test your physical/mental/spiritual limits, all in a supportive team-based atmosphere. Don't believe me? See for yourself: