Marketing Support

• Brick Bodies sought to elevate their monthly advertising and in-gym marketing events, promotions, and campaign creative to reinforce their position as a member-focused club that helps people change their lives for the better.
• Then, when COVID-19 began, they sought help evolving their campaigns to address public health concerns and inform members of the steps they were taking to protect them.

To increase visibility and enhance Brick Bodies’ marketing campaigns, Novak Birch provides the following services and solutions:

• Monthly Advertising Creative: To attract a younger demographic, we developed a fresh new look for Brick Bodies’ targeted digital, out-of-home (OOH), and print creative using vibrant shapes and colors. Copy and photography also varied depending on the target demographic. The advertising creative includes:
  • Digital: Email, website, geofencing, and social media graphics
  • Print: Baltimore Magazine print ads
  • OOH: Digital billboards and posters
  • Direct Mail: Postcards and Baltimore Sun stickies
• In-Gym Marketing & Promotional Materials:
  • Valentine’s Day Cards: We designed and wrote a series of pun-filled, feel-good cards for club members. The cards combine simple, sweet illustrations with Valentine messages, each with a fitness twist.
• Photo Shoot: We scouted local Baltimore photographers and gathered portfolio samples, photo shoot specs, shot lists, and quotes for Brick Bodies to review. We also coordinated the introduction between the selected photographer and Brick Bodies and assisted with photo shoot planning and logistics. Novak Birch edited more than 80 raw photos for marketing and advertising use, with edits including: identifying flaws within the pictures; color correction; background replacement; photo manipulation such as swapping, adding, or removing people; clothing retouching and replacement; lighting/shading correction; digital airbrushing/painting; body reshaping; and distraction removal (lights, fans, outlets, etc.).

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we worked with Brick Bodies to adapt their marketing campaigns to address public health concerns while educating members and prospective members of the steps the company is taking to protect the health of members and staff. Our work includes:

• Photo Retouching: Brick Bodies tasked Novak Birch with adding masks to the people in the photos they used in marketing materials, including social media, website, email, advertising and in-gym promotions. They needed this to be done quickly, to show members the steps they were taking to make their gyms healthy and safe. Instead of planning and conducting a new photo shoot, Novak Birch’s design team added branded masks onto people practicing social distancing in more than 20 photos from the recent photo shoot. This provided Brick Bodies with significant cost savings over a new shoot, lessened the amount of time necessary to deliver photos with masks, and offered a safe solution that eliminated the need for in-person photo shoot during a pandemic.
• Re-Opening Creative: Since Brick Bodies reopened, they have taken steps to ensure safety and cleanliness at the clubs. We designed a postcard that outlines these steps, reassuring members and potential members of their safety and inviting them to return to the gym. The postcards include the photos of members wearing masks (mentioned above) and practicing social distancing. We also designed and printed a banner up and wall graphic that explains the AirPHX air and surface disinfection system in their gyms, which eliminates germs and viruses 24/7.
• Monthly Advertising Creative: We continue to design Brick Bodies’ monthly advertising campaign creative for digital, print, OOH, and direct mail.

• The monthly advertising creative has helped Brick Bodies reinforce their strong position in the Baltimore market.
• The COVID-19 communications have helped them inform and assure members of the steps they are taking to protect their health, and they have seen a steady flow of members returning to their gyms.