Propel & Michael B Jordan break down societal barriers to fitness

On Wednesday, PepsiCo’s Gatorade spinoff brand Propel Fitness Water launched the Propel Your City Project to improve nationwide access to fitness this summer. Resident celebrity ambassador Michael B Jordan fronts the project.

According to the brand, the Propel Your City Project will support and fund local fitness organizations focused on improving access to fitness among disenfranchised communities. They include Los Angeles-based WalkGoodLA, Detroit-based The Trap Studio, Houston’s BLK Beetles and the Atlanta Run Club.

To help launch the effort, Propel on Wednesday released a spot fronted by Jordan. In the ad, the Emmy Award-winning actor is joined by WalkGoodLA members on a hike through a sunny Los Angeles hillside bespeckled with mustard flowers. Meanwhile, narration from Jordan educates viewers about the project.

The campaign, which runs across out-of-home, digital and social media, was led by creative agency Invisible North, while the spot was directed by the Australian Nabil Elderkin, known for directing music videos for Dua Lipa, Frank Ocean and John Legend. It also features music from Khraugnbin, a Houston-based trio that blends funk, psychedelic rock and dub.

“Fitness has been an integral part of my life, but finding my community and the sense of belonging within it helped get me where I am today. That’s the experience we’re trying to unlock for others with the ‘Propel Your City Project,’” Jordan said in a statement shared with The Drum. “We’re supporting those doing the work in their communities by creating spaces for people to connect and feel seen and enabling others to reap the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of movement.”

The effort marks the latest installment of Propel’s ongoing partnership with Jordan, which started in May of 2023 with work announcing new products and a brand identity linked to Propel’s sibling brand, Gatorade.

What’s more? As part of the campaign, Propel is offering exercisers a chance to win $500 toward fitness memberships for themselves and a friend. To enter, they must be age 18 or over, follow @PropelWater on social media, like the giveaway post, tag their preferred studio and a friend in a comment, and use the #PYCPSweepstakes hashtag. They can also learn more about free fitness classes at www.PropelWater.com/Community.

“We were inspired by the way the ‘Propel Your City Project’ fitness organizations harness the power of movement to tackle barriers that make exercisers feel excluded,” said the senior director of marketing for enhanced water brands at Gatorade, Emily Boido. “As someone who prioritizes fitness and inclusion, Michael shares our mission to support these leaders who are driving access and creating opportunities for exercisers everywhere to find their fitness community.”

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