Around the world, Americans are not known for their rigorous physical activity. Exercise in the United States has not only become a chore, but a necessary evil. It is usually a New Year's resolution or a fad that a group of friends will try to add to their routine when life slows down. Fitness and exercise needed a serious makeover. Well, that is what CrossFit and Reebok are attempting to do. Below is the extended spot of a Reebok CrossFit Ad that aired near the end of the Super Bowl PreGame show.
"The Sport of Fitness has Arrived," says the commercial. What Reebok and crew are trying to do is hype the experience of exercise and bringing the air of sport and competition to it. Granted, the commercial showed the hardcore performers, but if one were to visit the gym and CrossFit classes, you would see people of all shapes and sizes. The commercial brings out the air of admiration our society gives to those who have impressive physical ability and our inner drive to compete.
The wave of CrossFit and the CrossFit games has hit the nation unexpectedly. As the average American weight rises and belts grow larger, it seems that Reebok is positioning itself with a program that will get people more fit, healthy, and, as a byproduct of working out, happier. What brand will these people associate their fitness and health with? Reebok knows that answer all too well.
Will turning exercise into a sport work? It's possible, because it focuses on the extrinsic rather than the intrinsic. When people exercise, the goal is usually to only improve themselves; to beat their own personal records. Some people don't like the thought of putting up weight, or doing pull-ups, for the sole reason because they think that they should. But if you brand it as a sport, the goal changes; you can compete against others, and receive recognition for time of completion, reps done, or weight lifted. There's the bonus of social proof that a sport can provide.
One thing is for sure, we Americans love our sports. For our health, let's hope it catches on. Well done, Reebok.
Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.
Around the world, Americans are not known for their rigorous physical activity. Exercise in the United States has not only become a chore, but a necessary evil. It is usually a New Year's resolution or a fad that a group of friends will try to add to their routine when life slows down. Fitness and exercise needed a serious makeover. Well, that is what CrossFit and Reebok are attempting to do. Below is the extended spot of a Reebok CrossFit Ad that aired near the end of the Super Bowl PreGame show.
