The Challenge

‍GymNation is the fastest-growing gym brand in the Middle East, known for its affordable, contract-free memberships, state-of-the-art facilities, and bold brand personality. With no physical presence in the UK, the challenge was clear: how do you get a UAE-based gym chain talked about by UK trade and consumer media?

The Task

‍Our task was to create a culturally relevant, attention-grabbing campaign that would cut through the noise, showcase GymNation’s disruptive spirit, and position the brand as one to watch on the global fitness stage, despite it being thousands of miles away from its target media.

What we did

‍To generate UK media buzz without a single UK location, we leaned into what GymNation does best: bold, attention-grabbing ideas. We created an April Fools’ Day stunt with global appeal—the launch of the world’s first “in-gym hotel,” featuring four-poster beds, Gymflix streaming, and “Press for Protein” room service.

We positioned the campaign as a tongue-in-cheek but on-brand move that showcased GymNation’s disruptive approach to fitness and convenience. By blending humour with a striking visual concept and strong brand storytelling, we created a playful, media-friendly moment designed to cut through in both UK trade and consumer titles, putting GymNation firmly on the UK radar, despite its lack of local presence.

The results 

• 45 media & social placements, featured in top UK lifestyle outlets, including Indy100’s “best April Fools pranks of 2025,” which spotlighted GymNation’s “in‑gym hotel” with its dumbbell pillows, four-poster beds, Gymflix, and “Press for Protein” room service‍
• Over 800 engagements over social media, including comments, likes and shares, with hundreds of playful comments, including “I would actually book this” and “Why isn’t this real?”, whilst being featured in several roundups of “Best April Fools’ Pranks”