The UAE gym giant continues to push the marketing envelope, this time celebrating the debut of a new Strongman class with what it’s calling the world’s heaviest billboard
A couple of weeks ago, GymNation made headlines for removing all of its weights to mark World Mental Health Day. Now, the 24-hour United Arab Emirates gym giant has more than made up for it, unveiling a one-ton billboard to promote its new Strongman class.
GymNation chief marketing officer Rory McEntee said the brand had to enlist a team of super-strong men and women to install the billboard, which consists of forty weight plates and now stands sealed off by perimeter tape, just in case of a wall collapse.
“Advertising in the UAE needed a lift, so we took that literally,” McEntee said. “The result is the world’s heaviest billboard, built to celebrate strength in every form. It was a massive job; spotters were required to put it up, but thankfully, no hernias were reported during the installation.”
In an equally playful twist, the billboard reads: “THE ONLY BILLBOARD THAT NEEDS A SPOTTER.”
The permanent installation marks GymNation’s first self-built billboard and serves as the launchpad for its new Strongman class, hosted on Saturdays at 10 a.m. at its Mirdif club. The class is inspired by The World’s Strongest Man competition and includes heavy-lifting staples like deadlifts, tyre flips, log presses and farmer’s walks.
McEntee said that the Strongman left was created in collaboration with GymNation’s fitness instructors.
“Members can expect to shift some serious heavy loads, designed to bring out the inner strong man and woman in all of us,” he added. “We strongly advise observers to remain outside the perimeter tape if they’re heading past the billboard, or just want to take a photograph of this heavyweight marketing feat.”
