Reebok: Your new fitness buddy

In an attempt to attract fitness enthusiasts of the fairer sex, Reebok launches an interactive campaign featuring actor Nargis Fakhri.

Have you been avoiding your morning workouts because you have no one to wake you up and accompany you? Reebok India has launched an interactive digital campaign, called Best Fitness Friend (BFF), to fill this vacuum.

This is part of a larger campaign (a 'Studio' campaign, as the brand calls it) that includes large scale marketing tie ups and larger-than-life outdoor initiatives. A video of actor Nargis Fakhri, of the behind-the-scenes variety, is also part of the marketing mix.

As a part of Reebok's BFF campaign, every consumer who registers online (http://reebokbestfitnessfriend.com/) receives a daily morning wakeup call from Fakhri, who then helps them plan their daily workout, diets and much more. She also offers moral support, an integral part of any fitness regimen, by promising to support the individual in her fitness plan every step of the way. The program revolves around yoga, aerobics, and dancing, all key elements of the 'studio' category.

The second leg of the campaign includes marketing and advertising tie-ups. Reebok India has taken up a cluster of billboards along the popular five kilometre Gurgaon-Faridabad toll road stretch. Starting five kilometres before the toll, the billboards boast attractive displays of the brand's new 'studio collection', and continue along the stretch till the toll plaza.

A statement released by Reebok India explains the effort, "Through such an initiative, the brand aims to create top-of-the-mind recall amongst consumers using this particular stretch, and ultimately drive more customers into Reebok stores in the region."

The last leg of the campaign comprises videos with Fakhri. The brand has also released a sneak peek into the making of the campaign, complete with exclusive 'behind-the-scenes' moments with Fakhri, captured during the campaign shoot.

Reebok's new studio collection, the focus of this campaign, is a line of products focused on dance, aerobics and yoga, designed especially for women. The products range from comfortable fabrics to bold electric prints, and are designed to enable flexible movements.

The brand thought is 'Fit for Life'. In an official communiqué, Somdeb Basu, brand director Reebok India, says, "The women's fitness market is significant for us. Women have emerged as important players in the overall fitness category. Through this campaign, we aim to reach out to more and more women, inspire them to adopt fitness as an integral part of their daily lifestyle and support them on their journey of being 'Fit for Life'".

Interestingly, the BFF campaign is a tad reminiscent of Puma's recent Gear Up Buddies campaign, featuring actor Chitrangada Singh.