It’s a simple stroke of genius. Get a few ordinary women in assorted shapes and sizes, film them getting active, add an earworm from Missy Elliott, get millions more people involved through social media – and you’ve got a campaign message that few can ignore.
Get Ur Freak On
In painting an honest picture of the way most women look and feel when they get hooked on sport and fitness, Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign succeeds in getting across a serious message in a fun, inspiring way – attracting 23 million views so far on YouTube and Facebook.
This Girl Can is a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets. So what if they sweat and jiggle? Doesn’t everyone?
“This Girl Can sends a strong message to women about the benefits of leading an active and healthy lifestyle,”
says Mike Lyons, Director of Leisure Facilities at BH Live.
“We actively encourage people of all ages to take part in sport and fitness activities in our classes, gyms and pools. Even if your exercise only involves a brisk walk, it’s true to say you’ll still be ‘lapping everyone on the couch!’”
So to show BH Live’s support for Sport England’s campaign, here are some Bournemouth girls who clearly can.
Kelly
“A couple of years ago I chose exercise to help cope with depression. So I ditched the pills, rocked up at the Littledown Centre, signed up and have never looked back. After a few weeks of swimming, gym workouts and pilates, I was drawn to the music pumping in a fitness studio. Inside were around 50 women of all shapes and sizes sweating together with massive smiles on their faces! I thought “that’s where I want to be!”. Since then, exercise has become a way of life for me. It helps me do everything better”.
Amy
“I started using the gym three or four times a week to help strengthen my core and back. I had a bit of a break in 2013 and, guess what, the back pain came back. That’s when I joined the Littledown Centre. I tend to get bored in the gym, so now I swim and go to classes to keep up my motivation. I’ll do whatever fits in with my shift work, from Body Conditioning through to INSANITY.”
Claudia
“I’ve battled with my weight all my life – I’m still three stone overweight despite exercising five times a week at the Littledown Centre. But it doesn’t matter because I enjoy it so much. There’s no better feeling than being physically exhausted and all hot and sweaty! Helps me sleep better too. I’m really happy to be involved in This Girl Can and hope the campaign succeeds in getting more girls get active”.
Lin
“I was determined to keep mentally and physically fit, healthy and mobile when I retired from teaching. But my chronic asthma got in the way. My GP referred me to the Littledown Centre to see if exercise would help. I felt very self conscious at first, scared of feeling foolish and that everyone would be better than me. But after the first ten minutes, all my doubts had evaporated. I ached from laughing – it was such great fun. Working out turned into quite a social event and I became a member. As I’ve become fitter, I’ve upped my sessions and now go to a class every day. I am now off all medication and feel so much happier and healthier”.
Jess
“I’ve always liked to exercise, even though I wouldn’t be classed as the ‘perfect size’. I think that my body is the best tool I will ever be given so it’s important to use it and look after it. Working out is the best medicine for staying healthy. Other than the gym, I love my INSANITY classes and aim to go six days a week, even though it’s not easy. I also ride and play polo all year round”.
Jane
“I find exercise a great way to relax and leave the world behind for a while. I love being surrounded by other people in a class – it’s very motivating – so much so that it’s taken me to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. It took me a year to raise funds and bring my fitness to a level that would get me there. Though I’m not keen on the gym, I did use the arc trainer, cross trainer and treadmill to help build stamina and get me used to walking a long way, and the body pump class helped me with the climbing motion. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done – but I never stopped to think “I can’t do this”.
Sam
“You may recognise me from the TV ad. This is me, running up that hill. Since I got ‘discovered’ by Sport England’s street scout at a Park Run in London, I’ve been on a rollercoaster of video shoots, photo shoots and press interviews. My feet haven’t touched the ground! And all because one day, I decided “this girl can”. It’s all been amazing and it’s a real privilege to be an ambassador for Sport England and such a worthwhile campaign. This Girl Can is changing how women see themselves, boosting their confidence, and making them healthier and happier. It’s really hit the spot – and I hope it goes on changing lives forever”.
Speaking on Sky Sports News HQ on 8 March 2015, International Women’s Day, Sports England CEO Jennie Price says she’s stunned by the success of the This Girl Can campaign.
“We’re amazed at how successful the campaign has been. We’ve had over 23 million views of the 90-second ad on YouTube and Facebook alone, so quite apart from the paid-for advertising, people really seem to be excited about it and sharing it.
“We’ve really tried hard in the images we have put forward to get people of all shapes and sizes, all ages and all demographic backgrounds. We need to keep working on that but this campaign really does seem to be reaching right across boundaries.”
BH Live Fitness membership packages give you hundreds of activities with access to all BH Live operated leisure centres in Bournemouth. That’s four leisure centres for the price of one; four gyms, three pools, four spa facilities and over 300 weekly fitness classes at the Littledown Centre, Pelhams Park Leisure Centre, Stokewood Leisure Centre and Sir David English Sports Centre. Membership packages start from £25 a month.
Visit bhlivefitness.co.uk for details.
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Notes to the editor
About BH Live
BH Live is the South Coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues – a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives. With over 2.5 million visits a year and over £31 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy. In 2013/14, BH Live hosted 423 shows, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets, clocked up 1.8 million leisure centre visits and welcomed 88,000 conference and exhibition delegates which contributed over £45 million to the local economy.
For further press information:
Elizabeth Symmons
PR & Corporate Communications Executive, BH Live
Elizabeth.Symmons@bhlive.co.uk
01202 451866