Social media lessons
It would be remiss not to begin this week’s round-up with a focus on the deeply offensive “12 years of slave” workout from the Luton & Barnstable branch of Pure Gym.
Where to start? Well, to mark Black History Month, the branch’s social channels (not approved by Pure Gym, I hasten to add) advertised a new workout devised by one of its personal trainers which boasted “slavery was hard and so is this”.
Despite protestations that this tone-deaf post was not endorsed or approved by Pure Gym, the damage to the brand is significant. It brings into question what policies are in place to guide local branches’ social media content and protect the wider brand from similar embarrassment in the future.
The personal trainer has apologised for the insensitivity of the post. He said: “There are no excuses for it. Only a place from which the post came. Which was from a proud black man wanting to bring his history together with his passion and profession”
Pizza Box Foosball
We’re probably not going anywhere fun for a long time and we’re definitely not going to watch the football. Luckily, Pizza Hut is on hand to help you replicate the beautiful game in your own home using one of its specially designed pizza box foosball tables. They are fully playable and neatly integrated into the lid.
The promo marks the return of football (albeit behind closed doors) across Europe, providing “an extra slice of football fun “as football spectators continue to watch from home.
It might be a small gesture, but we’ll take all the creative, fun campaigns we can get at the moment.
World Mental Health Day
October 10th marks World Mental Health Day, prompting us all to take the time to the consider the mental health of ourselves and those around us amidst a year of unprecedented change, disruption and anxiety.
To mark the occasion Asics is sharing stories about how movement and exercise can improve both mental and physical wellbeing. TV channel Dave and the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) have teamed up with Murdock, the London-based barbers whose staff are trained in Mental Health First Aid combining the channels signature humour whilst signposting CALM’s helpline
You can see a full rundown of how brands are marking the occasion here.