HOW TO BE A NINJA

The Brief

You may first be thinking: how does a relationship across Wokingham and New Jersey start up? Well, it was all down to word of mouth going international, as our work for the leading UK trampoline park outfit, Jump Giants, caught Brian and Vito’s eye via a recommendation from a U.S trampoline distributor.

They needed a full brand identity, marketing strategy, website design and build, and a grand opening launch for the gym and knew we had the pedigree to deliver.

Inspired by the hit NBC TV show American Ninja Warrior, the gym is one of the most challenging ninja training facilities around for professional athletes. There are very few facilities in the U.S that are so fully encompassing, catering for both family and athletes alike, whilst also being community oriented. We had to maximise this unique combination in helping them find their own unique niche and carve out a sizeable chunk of market share.

The Response

We placed an adventurous, child-like spirit at the very heart of the brand identity. The branding book, designed to ensure a consistent look, feel and tone across all mediums, was itself like an ancient, sacred manuscript, passed down across generations. Our positioning statement and CTA embodied the essence of this: ‘Brave the legend of Warrior Gyms and soar through a jungle of challenges’.

With such a wide-scale audience, the potential for confused, off key messaging was huge, which made tone of voice guidance vital. We struck on the great idea of turning our key demographics into ‘tribes’. The tribes take many forms, from children and adults to sports and business teams. All tribes are united by being warriors, but by creating subtle yet important distinctions in tone for different groups it enabled the brand to talk to everyone in a personal, inclusive way.

The website was constructed around smooth and easy navigation that allowed any tribe member to find information relevant to them, and with prominent links to their social channels, as well as a comprehensive booking system, it also gave them a vital and engaging digital presence and platform to support the bricks and mortar of the business.

Social media was an integral part of the strategy. We built up their following in various ways, including a countdown to opening, behind the scene teaser content, and competitions to win exclusive VIP tickets to the grand opening, where winners would be the first to try out the gym.

Social dovetailed with the PR strand of the strategy, with celebrity endorsements on Instagram and Twitter from contestants of the American Ninja Warrior TV show and Joe Flacco (quarterback of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and one-time Super Bowl MVP) giving the brand and the grand opening great awareness and credibility.

Our press releases garnered a three-minute TV segment on CBS, featuring Emmy award winning sports anchor Pat Gallen, which aired in the days leading up to the grand opening. We also secured coverage on Mud Run Guide, a world-leading portal to obstacle course sports that a lot of our target audience tap into.

The grand opening itself was a packed out yet slick schedule of exciting events, with the centre piece being the ultimate ninja warrior face-off; eight of NBC's American Ninja Warriors facing off against each other for the first time. A guest appearance from America's First Ninja Warrior Champion, Isaac Caldiero, ensured competition winners and guests alike had a truly incredible experience.

The Results

Arguably the best testament to our work done is our continued relationship; with Gasp being appointed their Agency of Record. Post-opening PR coverage helped to continue the amazing momentum we built up, highlighted by an article in the South Jersey Magazine, while Joe Flacco and the Ninja Warrior stars kept tweeting and posting their influential endorsements. The social following continues to grow organically, and the guys tell us they have regular sold out classes and sessions. A great, huge job well done!