The start of February saw sportswear brand Gymshark launch a US campaign called ‘To The Heroes’ which celebrates local community leaders and supports Black History Month.
The digital-first ‘To The Heroes’ marketing push is built around a trio of online films telling the personal stories of three individuals who have used sport and education to help their communities.
Created in partnership with Obsidianworks, the ad agency founded by actor and producer Michael B Jordan and Nike marketing veteran Chad Easterling in November 2020, the creative was made by an entirely Black team (from the creatives and camera crew, to the makeup artists, caterers and health and safety officers).
According to Gymshark’s VP of Brand Marketing Sennai Atsbeha, this approach fostered a “community space where everyone felt welcomed and understood.”
The opening film featured the Founder of the Disabled But Not Really organisation Wesley Hamilton. The 60-second spot, which dropped on 2 February, explains how Hamilton transformed his life after being shot and becoming paralyzed and champions his charity which focuses on restoring hope to the disabled community.
The series will also feature Mel Douglas (the founder of Black Women’s Yoga Collective which is dedicated to increasing wellness accessibility and representation for people of colour, especially Black people) and third spot (which will be released on 16 February) shines a spotlight on Jason Wilson (founder of the non-profit group The Yunion which aims to improve the futures of teens by strengthening families through education, parental engagement, mentoring and counselling).
“They live Gymshark’s values and message. They are real-world role models who go above and beyond to unlock potential for the good of their communities,” explained Atsbeha who added that the individuals were selected for their ability to work up new ideas and solutions to community problems. “We want to celebrate these leaders who are doing what they can to move their community forward.”.
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This campaign is Gymshark’s second US-specific campaign after it debuted the ‘United We Sweat’ marketing push in January and it also follows on from its recent commercial starring ambassador and UFC star Francis Nganno.
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