Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL) are a not-for-profit social enterprise that provides affordable, value for money health, sport and leisure facilities and activities in South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire.

Their existing fitness offering brand, ‘Fitness Flex’, was no longer fit for purpose; it did not position them uniquely in the market and did not portray the company core values that they pride themselves on. The brand image was generic, and the brand name gave the wrong connotations of a bodybuilding gym. The brand required revitalisation and repositioning, moving away from the value gym marketplace and focusing firmly on their purpose, to help enrich people’s lives within their community, through fitness.

We defined the key target audience and developed a new brand proposition and positioning, emphasising the focus on the brands’ local communities, their members and personal fitness goals, and the not-for-profit nature of the operations. From this positioning we created a connective ‘big thought’ at the centre of the brand, to guide the creative thinking and give a reason to believe in the brand’s message – we expressed this externally for customers with a strapline and internally for employees with a rally call. This thinking communicated the good that the not-for-profit operation did for the community, the good that it did for its employees and ultimately the good that exercise and fitness does for your body and mind.

We renamed the gym chain to ‘Your Space’, placing the members at the heart of the brand, making it your space to do what you want, and your space to feel good. We created a vibrant brand identity, a friendly tone-of-voice and new imagery featuring real people, rather than models, enjoying getting fitter and healthier. The brand identity was supported by experiential applications, both externally and internally.

Receiving a World Brand Design award is an exceptional achievement as were up against tough competition, with some of the world’s most prestigious brands.

View the brand’s case study here