The holidays are over, and the time to collectively reign in our waist bands is here. As we regret that third serving of mom’s famous casserole, it’s a good time to be a health and fitness marketer.
When it comes to advertising about fitness, Weight Watchers has been doing it for longer than just about anyone. But their new campaign “If You’re Happy” does something truly impressive and tricky. It doesn’t preach. Instead it recognizes a truth about human behavior. We eat (often overeat) when we feel emotional. This campaign acknowledges that lets people know that they’re not alone.
For many, dieting is the vehicle to a new-and-improved self, and that’s good news for companies like Weight Watchers. And with some amazing talent and an amazing new campaign, they’re ready to take on 2015.
The message? “We get it,” there are a thousand ways to break that new diet, and we’re there to help you on the way. Without becoming too preachy, of course.
The spot, which is the first creative made by Wieden + Kennedy for the brand, works because it’s subtle, moving and funny all at once. And it’s the perfect message to give people right after the holidays when overeating is a recent memory. In fact, ome gyms report that up to 15% of their annual new memberships are signed in January.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the “If You’re Happy” campaign was resonating particularly with those looking to lose weight.
According to data from research firm Ace Metrix, the 30-second version of “If You’re Happy” scored 17% above the norm for creative effectiveness for the health and fitness category among respondents who said they could stand to lose 10 pounds or more. Ace Metrix, which uses a sample of more than 500 people to score ads for traits such as persuasion, likeability and information, said weight-conscious respondents were drawn to the ad for its catchy tune and the familiarity of emotional eating scenarios.
Weight Watchers, which has also been a marketing heavyweight,announced in October that industry luminary Maurice Herrera, who held top roles at Mentos and Airheads, would become its SVP of Marketing. The company also added impressive online services to help dieters connect with online weight coaches.
People and community though are at the heart of the Weight Watchers story. As James Chamber, CEO of Weight Watchers said in an interview with Ad Age, the company’s strength “is and always will be in the human connections that make a weight-loss journey more successful, connections between members and between members and service providers.”