Public Sector: Campaign Breakdown - Know your limits in gyms

Agency: Fishburn Hedges
Client: The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) and the Department of
Health (DH)
Timescale: December 2008
Budget: Undisclosed

The lowdown

The FIA, working with the DH, has launched an initiative to deliver the Government's Know Your Limits campaign to gyms and fitness facilities throughout England. The Fishburn Hedges involvement was in facilitating the partnership and developing ideas for gyms.

Why is the DH doing this now?

This is the latest stage in the DH's Know Your Limits campaign, launched in May by Fishburn Hedges. Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: 'Regular exercise is vital for keeping healthy, but if you're drinking too much alcohol then you could be undoing all that good work. As well as affecting your exercise performance, too much alcohol increases your risk of health problems further down the line.'

Who is being targeted?

Over the next few weeks almost 500 FIA registered clubs have signed up to run the campaign. The clubs range from national chains such as Fitness First, Harpers and LA Fitness, to smaller chains such as the BBC Clubs and CYMCA.

The tactics

Staff in participating clubs will be wearing 'beer-belly' T-shirts and advising members on alcohol's impact on health. Drink diaries will also be available to members so they can keep track of how many units of alcohol they are drinking. Other materials include leaflets and posters.

Any potential pitfalls?

The Government could be laying itself open to further 'nanny state' claims.