Equinox launches new 2019 campaign about life

Just in time for our New Year’s resolutions (that most of us will forget about in a couple of week) Equinox, the global fitness brand and lifestyle leader, today debuted its short film, “Life,” directed by fashion legend, visionary photographer and SHOWstudio director, Nick Knight.

According to a release, the 2-minute film is the first in an ongoing season of collaborations between Knight, his fashion platform SHOWstudio and the Equinox brands, showcasing the profound influence of fitness on life well beyond the four walls of the club.

It celebrates Equinox’s continued exploration of the world beyond fitness, re-rebooting the fitness brand’s 15-year-old tagline “It’s Not Fitness, It’s Life.” Knight portrays the building blocks of life – love, water, spirit, movement, and light— that ultimately crescendos into an expression of life itself.

“Knowing that the articulation of LIFE itself is not an easy brief, I was excited to collaborate with Nick Knight because his whole body of work is about using the visual to explain the emotion of a moment or concept,” said Elizabeth Nolan, Executive Creative Director, Equinox. “Equinox exists to enable people to maximize the potential within themselves, and the brand has always expressed itself by showing the world an image not of what we do—but of why we do it.”

The campaign kicks off with a two-minute anthem, titled “Life,” that features Grammy Award winner Ciara, iconic models Maria Borges, Hannah Ferguson, Richard Ampaw and stuntman Chase Armitage titled, “Life.” In the film, created by 22-person in-house Equinox creative team, our eyes and ears are intercepted with a barrage of images ranging from parkour-style gymnastics to bike racing. Meanwhile, a narration provided by musician Saint JHN, says dramatically, “This is your life, so live better.”

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“The use of movement and dance to embody life as envisioned by Nick Knight is so special,” Ciara said in the release. “Every aspect of my life is about leveling up and living my best life as an artist, a performer, a mother or a boss. For me, Equinox means reaching your potential and that’s always my goal in all that I do.”

The film comes at a pivotal time for the brand as it continues to expand its lifestyle footprint with the launch of Travel Experiences and Equinox Hotels, among other 2019 initiatives.

“As we continue to lead and disrupt the category we singularly defined, the enduring resonance of “It’s Not Fitness. It’s Life” is a true testament to the power of our unwavering commitment to empowering our community to maximize their potential,” said Vimla Black Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Equinox. “The ‘Life’ film represents our next chapter in defining Equinox’s excellence and far-reaching impact that goes beyond our clubs and properties.”

Equinox believes it is at, “the intersection of culture, fashion, art and movement.” According to the statement “Life” reinforces their mission to encourage a life lived better across disciplines. All in all, and I do love Equinox, but as the fitness brand talked about life, I realized that the images I was seeing did not represent my life and I wonder how many others it represented.

Yes, Equinox has a very distinct and upscale brand, and this may appeal to their core target. And the images and use of color and sound are elegant, but I just did not come away inspired the way I would walk away from a Nike or Gatorade spot. In fact, I was left feeling a little empty. I wanted more. At one point, I felt this could be a sizzle reel an agency would present to the client before getting into the real creative.

In other words, Equinox did not move the needle on my annual New Year’s resolution of going to the gym or at least plunking down $240 a month at the amazing gym, no matter how great the chilled eucalyptus towels are. And they are great. That said, the production value is top notch and disruptive. I am fairly sure it will hit their target.

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