Printed from : The Leisure Media Co Ltd

27 Jul 2020


World United, backed by New Zealand PM, Jacinda Ardern, will help operators relaunch businesses
BY Tom Walker

World United, backed by New Zealand PM, Jacinda Ardern, will help operators relaunch businesses

Les Mills will launch a new global campaign in September, celebrating the return of fitness and designed to help operators grow their memberships.

The campaign will be free of Les Mills branding, so operators can make it their own.

Called World United, the campaign will promote the importance of exercise to physical and mental health and is aimed at helping the global fitness industry reactivate paused members and attract new ones.

Fitness facilities across more than 100 countries worldwide are expected to take part in the initiative, which is supported by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern.

In a campaign launch video for World United, Ardern says: “Right now, we are facing a major health challenge.

"But as we come out of this, exercise will have a vital part to play in uniting us, and keeping us both mentally and physically well.

“Across the globe, you have all got an important role in making that happen, so thank you, good luck, and have a fabulous day.”

World United will peak from Saturday 19 September 2020 onwards, with a synchronised global launch of live and online fitness events involving tens of thousands of fitness facilities and trainers worldwide. It is the third and final phase of Les Mills’ recovery support package for club partners, to help "turbocharge their relaunch" and drive member re-engagement.



The launch will celebrate fitness through the exclusive release of United-themed workouts, filmed by during lockdown by more than 300 instructors worldwide.

"Multiple reports and post-lockdown surveys have indicated that the social elements of the club, such as group fitness and interactions with your team, are going to be the biggest drivers of recovery," said founder, Phillip Mills.

"After many months of being kept apart, members are yearning for deeper connection and human interactions, so how we leverage and nurture the social aspects of our club offerings will have a major bearing on the success of our relaunches.

"World United is a business accelerator for clubs, designed to support clubs' relaunch strategy by engaging existing members and attracting new ones. Launch activations play a strong role in motivating members to attend more often, dialing up the fun factor and offering a strong PR hook to generate added buzz and publicity around clubs."

Clubs and Instructors are invited to join the campaign on 19 September by hosting their own special launch activations or community open day (or weekend) – either online via Les Mills’ livestreaming service or live in-club – to re-engage paused members and attract new ones.

A free online campaign hub has been created for club partners and Instructors. The landing page features a collection of relaunch resources, as well customizable event assets (print + digital) ready for use.

The event will take place just four days before National Fitness Day in the UK (held 23 September) and will be part of its launch.

To find out more about World United, click here.


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