Planet Fitness To Debut New Brand Campaign: “The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free”

NEWINGTON, N.H., Dec. 30, 2016 -- Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the U.S., is set to reveal a new creative campaign, “The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free.” The campaign will debut nationally during ABC’s “Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017” on December 31^st. For the second year in a row, Planet Fitness is also the presenting sponsor of Times Square’s iconic New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City.

A video accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d64364e-51eb-49ed-85ff-863d5140e1c1

For nearly 25 years, Planet Fitness has revolutionized the gym industry, introducing the “Judgement Free Zone®” to first time or casual gym goers – a welcoming and friendly community where people could feel comfortable regardless of their fitness level – and afford to belong with memberships for just $10 a month.  Once the challenger brand, the Company’s innovative take on the fitness industry was matched with groundbreaking advertising which focused on “Lunk” behavior and “Gymtimidation” – a feeling of judgement and intimidation often found at typical gyms, and not found at Planet Fitness. Now a preeminent leader in the category, “The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free” campaign, created with agency-of-record Hill Holliday, is an evolution of the Planet Fitness brand spirit and puts Judgement-Free in the context of society: the world, not just other gyms, can be a very intimidating and judgmental place, but Planet Fitness is a place you can go and be yourself and “be free” without fear of being judged. 

“The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free” addresses the universality of judgement and the symbol for the campaign is the universal symbol for acceptance - the thumbs-up. Taken from the Planet Fitness logo, the thumbs-up symbol is a positive affirmation that is woven throughout all of the campaign creative. The branding executions include advertising on television, radio, print, out of home, digital, and social activity reflective of the evolved brand platform. Throughout January, additional brand vignettes will offer a close-up of the stories that will run across ABC, CBS, NBC, cable and syndicated networks and generate excitement for Planet Fitness’ January sale, where people can join any location for just $1 down and $10 a month with no commitment from January 1-11, 2017.

“We are excited to debut this evolution in our branding and communicate a message to consumers that Planet Fitness is a place where they can escape the judgement and pressure felt in their daily lives, and be themselves. This is critical to the Planet Fitness brand DNA and it is also culturally relevant today, which is extremely powerful,” said Jessica Correa, SVP of Marketing at Planet Fitness. “As we head into 2017 and our 25^th anniversary year, the Planet Fitness ‘Judgement Free Zone’ has never felt more important and necessary. “The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free” campaign is a true evolution of our brand and one that elevates the promise we made to our members over two decades ago – to remain an environment where you can relax, go at your own pace, do your own thing and be free.”

Planet Fitness has more than 8.7 million members with more than 1,200 locations in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®.  
                                     
“From its inception, Planet Fitness has been disrupting the gym industry with its low price point and its "Judgement Free Zone," said Khari Streeter, Senior Vice President, Creative Director of Hill Holiday. “On the cusp of their 25th anniversary, we had a unique opportunity to elevate the brand platform beyond the gym. “The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free” campaign embraces the heritage of Planet Fitness, expanding its iconic "Judgement Free Zone" to a genuine refuge where everyone can be free, free to go at their own pace, to be any shape or size, and to be totally free of judgement.”

About Planet Fitness
Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of September 30, 2016, Planet Fitness had more than 8.7 million members and more than 1,200 stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

About Hill Holliday
Fighting the daily share battle. It’s what we do. Hill Holliday is proud to be one of the top creative marketing agencies in the country with over 750 employees across our network. Since 1968 we’ve built our business on winning that daily share battle for our clients in the noisiest and most competitive categories. Blending superior creative, media and technology, we deliver game changing ideas for industry leaders like Bank of America, Dunkin' Donuts, John Hancock, (RED), TJX, Chili's, Supercuts, Great Wolf Lodge, Planet Fitness, Tempur Sealy, Capella University and Novartis. For more about our people, our work, and our culture, please visit http://www.hhcc.com.

Media Contacts: 
McCall Gosselin, Planet Fitness 
[email protected]
603-957-4650

Julia Young, ICR 
[email protected] 
646-277-1280