Anytime Fitness Launches “Stop Searching, Start Anytime.” A New Campaign Helping the Nation Overcome Gym Anxiety
New campaign turns the UK’s most-searched fitness fears into stories of courage, laughter, and belonging
Anytime Fitness, the UK’s largest fitness franchise, has today unveiled “Stop Searching. Start Anytime.” a nationwide campaign created to help people move past the doubts, worries and “what ifs” that stop them stepping inside a gym.
Drawing on anonymised UK search data, the campaign brings to life the questions thousands of people secretly type into Google long before they ever type their name into a membership form:
- “Am I too unfit for the gym?”
- “What should I wear on my first day?”
- “Will everyone stare at me?”
Rather than brushing these insecurities aside, Anytime Fitness has transformed them into a powerful creative platform that turns private fears into shared stories of reassurance, humour and hope. The campaign carries a simple message: if you’ve searched it, someone else has too. You’re not alone.
A campaign built on real searches, real people, and real belonging
At the heart of “Stop Searching. Start Anytime.” is a series of films, striking portraits, and community-focused activations celebrating the moment someone stops hiding behind the search bar and starts showing up for themselves.
Hero visuals reimagine search queries as bold, human portraits of real members caught mid-laugh, mid-effort or mid-sweat, capturing the truth that confidence doesn’t arrive before you walk through the door; it arrives because you did.
Featuring plus-size lifters, first-timers and red-faced regulars alike, the campaign champions the honesty and inclusivity that define the Anytime Fitness community.
Local Anytime Fitness Clubs become the antidote to search anxiety
Alongside the creative campaign, Anytime Fitness is launching The Search Party, a new in-club initiative designed specifically for people who have been “searching, not starting.” These small, relaxed sessions use the UK’s most-searched gym fears as conversation starters and are led by local coaches who help participants learn the basics, ask anything and realise they’re not alone in how they feel.
Anytime Fitness Clubs nationwide will also introduce a “Suggestion Search Box” installation, inviting members to anonymously submit questions, anything from kit basics to confidence concerns to be answered directly by coaches.
“We know how intimidating that first step into a gym can feel and how often people try to ‘research’ their way to confidence before they walk through the door,” says Katy Cockerill, Director of Marketing at Anytime Fitness UK & Ireland. “This campaign is about meeting people where they already are: online, full of doubt, asking questions they don’t want anyone to hear. We want to show them that those fears are completely normal. You don’t need to be ready to start. You just need to start.”
Campaign rollout
“Stop Searching. Start Anytime.” launches this January across digital, social and in-club channels, supported by hero stills, 30-second films, and out-of-home executions that celebrate everyday gymgoers as the heroes of their own story.
Local activations include:
- Search Party sessions – nationwide small-group beginner confidence sessions
- Suggestion Search Box installations – in-gym anonymous question drop-boxes answered by expert Coaches trainers
About Anytime Fitness
From humble beginnings in a small town in Minnesota, Anytime Fitness has grown into a global fitness brand with more than 5,500+ locations across all seven continents. The brand opened its doors in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2010. It is the largest fitness franchise, operating over 185 clubs in the UK and Ireland.
Anytime Fitness is built on a strong sense of community and culture, offering members 24/7 access to safe, welcoming fitness spaces. Guided by its vision to empower the fitness and wellbeing of every community, the brand fosters an inclusive and supportive environment where people of all backgrounds are encouraged to pursue their goals on their own terms. By promoting connection, encouragement, and flexibility, Anytime Fitness creates places where individuals can feel comfortable being themselves while becoming their healthiest selves.
About the “Stop Searching. Start Anytime.” Campaign
The campaign was developed by Baked and Anytime Fitness’ in-house marketing team.
