Fitness
PureGym offer apology for Luton & Dunstable gym marketing faux pas
PureGym have had to apologise for the local Luton & Dunstable gym after a post of a ‘slavery-based’ fitness workout was published on their Facebook page – Five days into Black History Month.
If there was ever a lesson to be learned on cultural sensitivity, this marketing ‘faux pas’ would be it. The intense and insensitive workout was inadvertently promoted on the Luton & Dunstable PureGym Facebook page as ’12 Years Of Slave’. It would seem that the author of the post has leaned upon inspiration from the Oscar-winning 2013 film “12 Years a Slave”. Mistake number one.
Whilst it is obvious that there was no racist intent behind the post, the incident has raised a number of questions around companies and brands attempting to enter the choppy waters of political and social discussions.
Describing both slavery and the work out as ‘hard’, the author of the post goes on to describe the workout. ‘The twist to this is 1 rep of your 1st exercise, 2 of the second but before you move on to the 3rd exercise, which is also 3 reps, you must start at the beginning to move on. AND that’s how the entire workout goes.’
The workout itself consists of 100m sprint, push-ups, box jumps, deadlifts, burpees, and some good old squats thrown in for good measure. Nothing about this can be compared to a day of enforced enslavement. That is where the second mistake lies for PureGym. The author of this post clearly is not a marketing expert. Nothing about the post was written with racist intent. Nothing about the post was written with thought. It was an opportunistic move as the same post had been previously used a year ago by the author at a different location.
The sad thing about this whole car crash is a few hours before posting the advert for the ’12 Years Of Slave’ workout, the Luton & Dunstable gym posted an inspirational message about celebrating Black History.
A statement from PureGym has since apologised for the post, saying that it was a decision made by the local branch. The statement said: “PureGym apologises unreservedly for a post made today by our gym in Luton. This post is wholly unacceptable, was not approved or endorsed by the company and was removed as soon as it was brought to our attention. Each of our 271 gyms has its own social media channels which are run locally. We take this matter extremely seriously and are urgently investigating how and why this post was made.”
David Lloyd Beaconsfield has received a significant multi-million pound investment to firmly position it as the area’s leading family-friendly health, spa, fitness and racquets clubs. The Club offers unrivalled facilities to support members with their health and wellness needs, whether that be fitness, relaxation or socialising with friends and family.
David Lloyd Beaconsfield Spa
The centre piece of the redevelopment is the luxurious super-spa; known as the Spa Retreat. Set within a newly built area of the club, it’s a world away from anywhere, with extensive state-of-the-art facilities. Heat, cool and relax are the three guiding principles of the expertly designed ‘spa journey’, scientifically designed to boost overall wellness and help relax, unwind and escape. There are few better activities for overall wellness than spending some much-deserved down time relaxing in a spa.
David Lloyd Beaconsfield facilities
Along with the investment in the relaxation facilities, there will also be significant upgrade to the gym and group exercises studios. Fitness enthusiasts can up their performance with all new equipment in the state-of-the-art gym. The existing High Impact and Spin Studio will receive a refresh and a brand-new Mind and Body Studio will be built.
As part of the investment David Lloyd Beaconsfield now offers an exclusive group exercise personal training program – Delta. Delta offers members the chance to work in small groups of like-minded people, prepare to be inspired and motivated by an expert coach fast tracking individuals to peak fitness on a 6-week course. Set on the bright airy revamped gym floor, Delta thrives to push members to their peak fitness.
Investing in the future for David Lloyd Beaconsfield
David Lloyd Beaconsfield’s General Manager, Mary Jones said: “We’ve promised to invest in the club to make it bigger and better than ever. Our brand new luxury Spa Retreat is set to rival the top spas in the UK and I think our members will love the new stylish indoor and outdoor spas which are a stunning place to relax and unwind after a workout or busy day. In addition, we’ve also launched our new Personal Training class Delta, which offers members the opportunity to really push themselves to their limits. This investment is exactly what the Club needed and firmly places it as the top health and fitness clubs in the area.”
In addition to the new and refurbished facilities, David Lloyd Beaconsfield offers DL Kids facilities with over 30 hours of inclusive junior sessions each week, outdoor tennis courts, adults and kids splash pool, group exercise studios including a dedicated cycling studio, a restaurant and café bar, crèche and free members Wi-Fi.
David Lloyd Beaconsfield Address
David Lloyd Beaconsfield can be found on Glory Mill Ln, Wooburn Green, High Wycombe HP10 0BY. Go and make the most of David Lloyds’ cutting-edge gym equipment. Improve your serve on match-quality tennis courts. Join in with hundreds of classes and enjoy family activities to keep children occupied for days at a time. Swim indoors and out in David Lloyds’ pools. Whether you’ve got clear goals or need somewhere to start, David Lloyd Staff have got the experience and the tools to help you get to where you want to be.
GymCub Apparel, the Milton Keynes born activewear and leisure brand is set to open a pop-up store at Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes following a successful launch online earlier this year. Opening at 10am on Wednesday 1st December, the brand – which has a growing fanbase in the local area – will welcome guests throughout the festive period and into the New Year, for a limited time only.
Marking the opening of its first ever physical store, the brand – known for its bold and daring designs – will sell its best-selling items including its co-ord signature tracksuits and hoodies, as well as its much-loved t-shirts, vests, leggings, and cropped tops. It will also launch a brand-new limited-edition line which will be exclusively available in store only.
Located opposite Victoria’s Secret, the stylish activewear brand which has been spotted on a host of reality TV stars including Love Island’s Connor Durman, Emma Woodhams and TOWIE’s Roman Hackett will finally be available to purchase in store for the first time ever and will celebrate by sharing an exclusive 50% discount to first time customers on Friday 3rd December.
Richard Cayless, Owner of GymCub Apparel commented “GymCub Apparel was born here in Milton Keynes, so it only felt right to open our first ever pop-up in the city. We’ve had a successful launch period, growing our community online and this marks the next step in building that fanbase further. Our ethos is all about looking great and feeling great and that will be reflected in our instore experience”
He continued “We know Christmas is always a busy period, with lots of people on the lookout for the perfect gift and we cannot wait to bring our bold and daring designs to Milton Keynes. We cannot wait to welcome everyone when doors open at 10am on Wednesday.”
