Premium health and fitness operator Equinox has launched a challenging new year fitness campaign to revive the ailing concept of consumer loyalty to their gym.

Although it is one of thousands of health club marketing campaigns to launch during the busy new year period, the Equinox concept is significant as it seeks to reverse the current narrative of consumers becoming less loyal to a specific workout space, by holding up commitment as something to be proud of.

The provocative new out-of-home and digital ad campaign features a collection of seven images shot by famous fashion photographer Steven Klein, urging consumers to "Commit to Something." The striking pictures include a mother unapologetically breastfeeding twins in a restaurant, an activist fearlessly taking a stand for her cause and a male-cheerleading champion proudly posing in front of his trophies.

The campaign has won plaudits for tackling social issues such as activism, sexuality and women's rights, but what is most interesting from a fitness perspective is how the company has sought to reframe the debate around gym memberships.

The recent rise of boutique studios and third-party platforms such as ClassPass has been linked to the maturation of the millennial market, with consumers becoming less loyal to specific brands and more reticent to commit to lengthy gym contracts than they have been in the past.

Equinox’s campaign – produced in-house – seeks to champion the unfashionable concept of loyalty and commitment, urging consumers to nail their colours to the mast and take a stand.

"Equinox is about commitment, we are obsessed with it, and we challenge our members to know who they are and what they want,” said Equinox chief marketing officer Carlos Becil.

“It's not just about fitness – it's about life. The concept of commitment is bold, incredibly powerful, and it's real, especially in a world today where commitment is lacking."

Whether the campaign rings true with consumers, remains to be seen. But at a time when many gym operators – specifically in the mid-market – are seeing members tempted away by promises of cheaper prices and no-strings gym access, a novel perspective on the concept of commitment may prove a timely tonic. The key to survival, as fitness analyst Ray Algar noted in his recent report, will be for health club operators to give their members a meaningful concept to commit to.