City Fitness came to us with a clear challenge: remind Philadelphians that City Fitness isn’t just in Philly — it’s Philly’s gym.
That insight sparked “We’re Yours”, a love letter to the city, brought to life through strategic storytelling, creator-led content, and scroll-stopping visuals designed for social.
Why They Hired REC Philly:
REC Philly was brought on for our specialized expertise in social-first video and culture-driven brand campaigns. We led the entire creative and strategic process, focusing on content formats and platform behavior that resonate with Gen Z and Millennial audiences.
Our Role
- Creative Direction & Casting: We sourced real Philly talent to reflect the brand’s community
- Multi-location Video Production: Reels, TikToks, UGC-style edits built for scroll
- Social Media Management: Weekly content calendars, publishing, and engagement
- Paid Media Execution: Meta and Google Ads campaign management and optimization
- Influencer Coordination: From outreach to UGC collection and delivery tracking
We anchored the concept in Philly’s most iconic figures — Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, The Fresh Prince, and Jason Kelce — blending nostalgia, neighborhood pride, and modern wellness to reframe the gym as part of the city’s identity.
Why It Mattered
This wasn’t just a brand play—it was a strategic response to real market pressure.
Two gym chains had entered the Philly market within the past 12 months. City Fitness needed more than a membership promo, they needed to reclaim mindshare and reinforce their position as Philly’s gym before the narrative shifted.
We moved quickly to deliver a campaign that:
- Reminded the city who they’ve always belonged to
- Reconnected the brand to local identity and community pride
- Used culture-first storytelling to cut through the noise, organically and through paid
This TikTok, filmed inside City Fitness on the Ben Franklin Parkway, went viral. It gained over 1 million likes and proved the power of authentic, Philly-rooted content.
The Results
Organic Social
- 2.7M impressions (+102%)
- 2.2M reach (+235%)
- 1M+ views from viral tiktok video
Paid Media
- 4M impressions
- 38K clicks
- 898 leads generated
Why It Worked
This wasn’t just a content drop—it was a strategic storytelling engine built to:
- Humanize the brand through culturally resonant narratives
- Maximize visibility with short-form content built for social
- Convert attention into action via a paid strategy aligned with creative hooks
Want to activate your brand like this? Let’s talk.
