LA Fitness calls in SAS for identity

LA Fitness, the health club operator, has appointed SAS to redesign its identity, following the appointment of Circus last year to to develop its brand positioning.

The operator, which will launch its new identity at the end of August, is opening 17 new fitness clubs over the next 12 months. It wants to ensure its brand development is in line with the physical growth of the company.

LA Fitness founder and chief executive Fred Turok says, ‘Our objective is to develop the presence of the brand into all areas of our business. This project will impact on what we sell, the way we sell it, our approach to our premises and, perhaps most importantly, on our people.’

Circus has presented ‘first-stage strategic thinking on how we can develop our brand to the next level’, says LA Fitness brand director Zoe Sharp.

Circus will continue to review the brand positioning and brand personality as well as consider the implications for marketing communications, fitness centres, internal communications, staff behaviour and customer service.

SAS has been briefed to modify the identity based on the brand positioning developed by Circus. SAS partner David Stocks believes the fitness sector falls behind others in terms of design and the development of the LA Fitness brand is an opportunity to make the operator stand out from its competitors.

‘[LA Fitness] needs to develop a more rounded, mature offer. Its existing purple-and-black identity has a harsh look. We need to revise that,’ says Stocks.

Circus won a three-way strategic pitch and SAS won a two-way creative pitch to secure the work.