Gyms can be pretty intimidating, but Planet Fitness wants to change that situation with its “Gymtimidation” campaign.
Its new Facebook game, “Clunk-a-Lunk,” is very much like whack-a-mole: The object of the game is to clunk some “lunks”– anyone with a tendency to “gymtimidate” the average gym-goer. You use your mouse to click as many lunks as you can in 30 seconds. Golden lunks are worth extra points. Lunks are characterized by obnoxious gym behavior, like talking on the phone while working out, excessively grunting, constantly checking themselves out in the mirror.
There are specific “lunk” characters like Abroham Lincoln and Grunt Gable, who personify these annoying gym behaviors. You can watch videos of each of the characters in the app under the “Meet the Lunks” section. Agency Red Tettemer + Partners created the effort.
The game is undeniably silly, but it works because it’s rooted in a very real human behavior. Planet Fitness wants to appeal less to the musclehead and more to regular people who want to be healthy without the annoying parts of gym culture.
The people who score the top three highest scores each week win a 12-month gym membership for free. That’s a pretty sweet deal.