THE CHALLENGE: It wasn’t easy differentiating Riverplace, a facility with similar hardware but none of the marketing muscle and non-stop price promotion of the national chains. With considerable psychographic sweating, however, we unearthed a truth more powerful than pecs and abs: the evolving ego.

THE APPROACH: As we age, we generally outgrow our “things.” We trade our crash pad apartment for a home. Our used Beetle for a new Jetta. And, in the process, signal our passages to the world. Therein, we thought, lay the opportunity for Riverplace. While it clearly couldn’t confer esteemed “MAC Club” status, there seemed to be an unclaimed niche as the next step up from your “starter” club.

THE WORK: Accordingly, our ads highlighted the small stuff that signaled a slight shift in exclusivity: an indoor pool, day-care facility, massages, classes, even dry-cleaning. In short, we stressed “membership” over muscle building. In the process we also leaped one huge hurdle: higher dues became less of an obstacle than a natural part of the appeaL. We tucked our tagline—You’ve evolved, shouldn’t your health club?—within the body copy. Psychologically speaking, a little less Bling—a little more Rolex.

THE RESULTS: The campaign reversed a trend of declining membership, growing their rolls for the first time in recent history.