Ciara Palfreyman
Myprotein launched its first global campaign of Q1: Choose You, featuring a huge global roster as well as some of our very own colleagues, the campaign is a response to comparison culture and an antidote to the "New Year, New Me".
With insights showing that traditional resets and New Year pressures are no longer resonating, consumers are craving sustainable, slow-start goals over guilt-driven motivation. Charley Caines, Associate Creative Director at Myprotein take us behind the scenes of the authentic, relatable content and empowering messaging which celebrates self-motivation that feels achievable, not overwhelming - reminding audiences that fitness is personal, positive and theirs to define.
Can you share some of the consumer insights for this campaign, and how that has driven the overall messaging?
Insights were integral to the creative strategy and informed the entire narrative and treatment for the campaign; something we prioritise across all our work. In this instance, insights showed us that comparison culture online was peaking, motivation was starting to feel like pressure, and traditional “New Year, New You” messaging simply wasn’t resonating with our customer.
Rooted in this was our response: an anti-Q1 message — bold enough to cut through but carefully balanced in its language to empower without cynicism or polarity. The result was a liberating, honest tone that encourages people to pursue progress on their own terms, not on the terms the algorithm dictates.
What was the decision behind including a diverse roster in the campaign?
For us, living a healthy and active lifestyle – it's for everybody, and we’re here to support people wherever they are on that journey. With that in mind, we’re steadfast in representing our audience authentically across our creative and campaigns. We love the fitness community because of its diversity at every level, so it was important that this sat at the heart of the creative.
Can you explain how the creative process has played out and how the visual and design choices were made?
At the heart of the campaign narrative was a real, raw and honest tone, but one that still felt celebratory and this guided the entire visual identity. We adopted a candid, unstaged approach to photography and art direction, using natural lighting and high flash so it felt almost voyeuristic, like capturing a real moment as it happened.
Product showed up imperfectly - powder spills, chugging Electrolytes mid-set, we wanted to reflect how it’s genuinely used in real life. The design lock-up and typeface choices echoed this raw edge too. Alongside our brand fonts for consistency, the “Choose You” text was individually weighted by character to subtly reinforce the idea of individual choice. This lock-up was also blown out and repurposed as a more abstract graphic device across assets.
In what ways do you expect the narrative to resonate with different audiences?
The voiceover played a key role in articulating the message across our hero assets. It was inspired by the pacing, cutting and delivery of the Trainspotting opening sequence. The honest, human tone combined with the relatability of the script itself, which was written directly from those insights was our way of ensuring the narrative genuinely resonated with the audience.
How do you anticipate the inclusive, purpose-led approach to fitness marketing will position Myprotein as the first-choice sport nutrition brand?
I hope it positions us as an honest, relatable and supportive brand that truly gets its audience. We want people to feel seen - to know that we understand their world and are here for every part of their journey, whether they run, lift, hybrid train, or are elite or just starting out.