New ''Meet Your Potential'' Microsite Only a Hint of What's to Come for Revamped Bally Total Fitness Web Site

CHICAGO — Designkitchen, a global web site design and brand development firm located in Chicago, has been hired by Bally Total Fitness (NYSE:BFT) to activate the online component of its “Meet Your Potential” campaign.

Featured on the home page of Ballyfitness.com, the new micro site, http://meetyourpotential.ballyfitness.com/, sets the stage for sweeping changes to the company’s online presence – including a contemporized look and feel, and the use of leading-edge technology including multimedia, Flash and video, to create rich end-user experiences that will elevate the brand from a mere health-club operator to a Total Fitness partner committed to the overall well-being of its members. The revamped site will also separate Bally Total Fitness from the competition and is expected to boost customer acquisition and retention, as a result of the added value it offers.

Bally’s “Meet Your Potential” Campaign was developed in-house as part of the company’s pledge to personalize the fitness club experience, by offering customizable exercise and nutrition services that allow members to personalize their membership to suit their needs. Produced in modern testimonial fashion, the advertising campaign features eight people who describe real situations that encouraged them to get fit, and follows them on a 30-day program, tracking the strides they’ve made to a healthier, more fit, lifestyle. The campaign extends across television, radio, print and in-club promotions, in addition to the online component.

In choosing an agency partner to execute the online component of its “Meet Your Potential” campaign, Bally selected Designkitchen for its strategic expertise, deep experience in creating compelling online experiences, and its proven track record in the health and fitness industry.

“Designkitchen has been a great partner for us. Their ideas are innovative, effective and play well to our consumer as well as our company goals,” said Jim McDonald, chief marketing officer for Bally Total Fitness.

Designkitchen’s history of success in executing the global web strategy for Life Fitness, the leading fitness equipment manufacturer, assured Bally of the firm’s interactive expertise and experience in the fitness segment.

The “Meet Your Potential” microsite is the focal point of Bally’s home page, placing real people with real goals front and center, in a hip and engaging format. Featuring the same cast of characters from the TV commercials, the eight individuals represent a broad range of demographics – from a couple trying to shed “baby weight” after the birth of their first child, to a scrawny twenty-something aiming to bulk up, to a 45-year old mom trying to fit into a bridesmaid dress. With a simple click, users can access upbeat, inspirational before and after testimonials, in addition to a summary of each individual’s results after completing the 30-day program tailored to their unique goals.

The microsite gives users a mere taste of the rich online experiences in store when Bally launches its new corporate web site. The “Meet Your Potential” sitelet incorporates embedded Flash videos, an interactive Personal Fitness Profile that users can complete to create a customized fitness plan, a Club Locator that identifies the most convenient location based on ZIP code, and a Free 2-week Membership pass to encourage users to try the club and “Meet (their own) Potential.” Site analytic software is being used to track lead generation and conversion – a primary goal of this online initiative.

“We see this microsite as the first step in transforming Ballyfitness.com into a rich, self-contained experience for site visitors,” said Sol Sender, president, Designkitchen. “As a company, Bally has made a fundamental shift in its business. Bally is no longer just a gym, but a Total Fitness leader – focused on helping people from all walks of life meet their unique fitness goals through a balanced combination of exercise and nutrition. It is a powerful proposition and our charge is to effectively convey that commitment to both new and existing Bally customers,” Sender added.

About Bally Total Fitness

Bally Total Fitness is the largest and only nationwide commercial operator of fitness centers, with nearly 390 facilities located in 29 states, Mexico, Canada, Korea, China and the Caribbean under the Bally Total Fitness®, Pinnacle Fitness®, Bally Sports Clubs® and Sports Clubs of Canada® brands. Bally offers a unique platform for distribution of a wide range of products and services targeted to active, fitness-conscious adult consumers.

About Designkitchen

Founded in 1992, Designkitchen, a global web site design and brand development firm located in Chicago, specializes in creating brand singularity across multiple platforms, including web, motion and print. The firm’s unified approach to brand messaging guides its creative product and helps its clients measurably advance their business objectives. www.designkitchen.com.