As you may know — or do now, from image below — my personal email box doesn’t get a ton of attention (43 means 2043). Normally an Equinox email would go straight to the trash bin on one of my inbox-feng shui days, but I clicked on it accidentally.
Subject was “We Want You Back”, and I was not disappointed by what was inside:
DAYUM! Suddenly - fleetingly – I wanted them back too. It was one of those post-break up, nostalgic “I made a mistake!” moments. And then reality set in and i remembered that I broke up with equinox for good reason, and I wasn’t special, this was a mass-delivered email.
We ended primarily because of the ridiculous price tag but it was also the vibe and the people who were there to be seen, even in the locker room. It was SoHo, so I guess I was asking for it but seriously ladies, it doesn’t matter how great your bod is, blowdrying your hair in only a thong in the middle of a room of people is WEIRD. Very uncomfortable and American of me, I know, now go put on a t-shirt.
Anyway, once my “brainpower” was functioning as a human rather than a target market again, I realized the racy ad takes place in a library. It’s a beautiful library but WTF does that – or the beautiful but super skinny model (who looks kind of bored, by the way) – have to do with going to the gym to get healthy and fit? I’m all about pushing boundaries and duh, sex sells, but this “Join Equinox and Get Laid” ad officially went from feeling sexy to sleazy.
As it turns out, there are others…
What do you think? Do these equinox ads feel sleazy or make you want to hit the gym? Any other stupidly sexy ads that bother you?
Gross. that poor girl in the first picture doesnt even look like she’s enjoying herself. this wouldn’t be too much if it was a clothing company but the fact that it’s totally unrelated and simply for attention just works against ‘em, i think. not that i’d be going there anyway.
Ew, so sleazy. They do have great classes though (<3 kettle bell)!
I agree that it’s unrelated but it got your attention / has you talking about it – any promotion is good promotion, and this is definitely a great success as far as marketing is concerned – J
could not agree more!!!