July saw sportswear brand Gymshark open a new barbershop called ‘Deload’ designed to allow and encourage men to comfortably open up about their mental wellness to the professional mental health trained barbers.
The project, which activates Gymshark’s partnership with and support for mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), sees the Solihull based British fitness apparel and accessories brand, manufacturer and retailer’s commitment to the health of the mind as well as of the body.
Located in London’s Shoreditch, the doors of the ‘Deload Barbershop’ were open between 12 and 17 July and the shop offered free trims within what the brand described as a ‘non-judgemental safe space’ for male customers to ‘open up, offload and have a chat with’ the professional mental health trained barbers.
Barbers from Lions and Curfew Grooming handled the trimming and all of them were trained in mental health support by CALM, so that they were in a position to open up to the customers using certain cues and questions.
Plus, Gymshark also sold products from its bespoke and exclusive ‘Gymshark Deload Barbershop’ merchandise collection with all proceeds donated to CALM.
An additional part of the initiative saw Gymshark host panel talks across two evenings with representatives from CALM plus project partners Lions Barbers and Curfew Grooming, as well as Gymshark ambassador athletes and influencers discussing ‘Be The Mate You’d Want’ and ‘Building Real Strength’.
The idea behind the temporary branded space emerged after brand research found that while men find it difficult to open up about how they’re feeling, they often open up at the barbers.
“Here at Gymshark, we believe that the weight belongs in your hands, not your head, which is why we want to get more men talking about their mental health in an environment that they feel comfortable in,” said the retailer in a PR statement about the project launch. “The Deload Barbershop is a non-judgemental safe space for men to open up, offload and have a chat with professional mental health trained barbers who are there to listen.”
A Gymshark spokesperson added: “We want to talk about men’s mental health. We don’t talk about it enough – an awful lot of men are struggling,” adding that this is what inspired the retailer to launch Gymshark Deload. Deload is an innovative mental health initiative platform, that encourages young people to focus on their mental as well as their physical wellbeing. It provides content, stories and advice from wellbeing experts and medical professionals. We found that people talk to their barbers more than their doctors, than mental health professionals. So we found this to be an authentic way to create something branded and work with Calm to make a difference for men’s mental health.”
“Too often men feel there is a lack of safe spaces to really get stuff off their chests. That’s why for many the barbershop is more than a place to just get your haircut – it can be a haven for banter, friendships, and even a space to open up or confide in someone,” explained an accompanying CALM statement. “And with 84% of men in the UK bottling up their emotions, our partnership with Gymshark aims to help normalise what to some people might feel like tricky conversations about mental health and spread awareness of CALM’s lifesaving work.”
Comment
This temporary pop-up mental wellness project comes in a year during which Gymshark is due to open its first physical store in London’s Regent Street.
It also sees Gymshark join several other sportswear brands in increasing their focus on mental wellness alongside physical health.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.