Influencer Marketing, Live Activation

The Problem

Gymshark, a leading fitness apparel brand, faced the challenge of expanding awareness beyond their core demographic of fitness enthusiasts. While Gymshark had traction among gym-goers, the brand lacked visibility with mainstream audiences, especially among booming social media creator communities spanning sports, music, and entertainment.

Tapping this massive opportunity required an authentic way to organically weave Gymshark into influencer content and conversations. However, Gymshark's limited creator connections made this difficult.The Idea

To overcome the brand awareness challenge, we conceived a unique collaboration between Gymshark and Drew Hanlen. The idea was to develop a training program specifically designed for top creators in sports and entertainment. By partnering with a top basketball trainer in Drew, we aimed to provide these creators with the opportunity to represent Gymshark athletes and showcase Gymshark products on their social media platforms. This collaboration would not only elevate the brand's exposure but also establish Gymshark as a brand that supports and inspires athletes across various domains.

The Idea

To tackle this, we conceived an innovative collaboration between Gymshark and renowned basketball skills coach Drew Hanlen, who trained A-list celebrities and NBA stars.

The idea was for Drew to design an elite training program for creators looking to improve their basketball skills. By sponsoring this program, Gymshark could build relationships and supply apparel to creators, empowering them to authentically showcase products to their millions of followers.

We also brought in NBA stars RJ Barrett and Kelly Oubre to participate, teaching skills and playing with creators.

This would allow Gymshark to leverage creators' influence and content ecosystems. And by improving their basketball abilities, Gymshark could organically integrate into conversations about sports, fitness, and lifestyle.

What We Did

We spearheaded the end-to-end collaboration, tapping into our network to connect Gymshark with Drew given his unmatched credibility and expansive creator access.

We worked closely with both parties to design a high-impact training program targeting creators seeking to enhance their skills and athleticism. The 8-week program - branded "The Academy" - included both on-court training and strength conditioning.

Gymshark supplied products for creators to train in, including shorts, shirts, hoodies, and shoes to facilitate organic social media content.

Our team managed creator recruiting, screening 20 candidates and selecting 10 top micro-influencers from basketball, football, boxing, music, and entertainment with a combined reach of 5M+ followers.

We also led program logistics from venue booking to media production. The program launched in Los Angeles with a media day generating buzz.

Throughout the 8-weeks, we coordinated between Drew, Gymshark, and creators to optimize training and content capture. Our hands-on support ensured creators shared their journeys across social media, driving product exposure and credibility for Gymshark.

The Results

The Gymshark x Drew Hanlen creator collaboration exceeded all KPIs, catalyzing Gymshark's mainstream expansion:

• 10 creators activated with massive influence

• 5M+ Instagram followers reached

• 8+ Instagram posts per creator

• 20M+ impressions

• 100k+ engagement

• 25% sales lift

By empowering Drew to train rising creator talent, Gymshark gained access to an invaluable network. Creators shared their training journey across social platforms through an authentic lens driving brand visibility.

This collaboration enabled Gymshark to organically weave into creator conversations - forging an emotional bond with audiences. The program forged a pathway to long-term creator partnerships fueling future growth.