HeidiBarbieBlend-400wideIf you’ve ever signed up for a Fitness Club membership as part of some über sincere New Years resolution, chances are the following scenario isn’t all that unfamiliar…

You showed up, felt “showed up”, and then wryly observed that Webster’s was missing at least one alternate definition for the term “flex time”.

Punishing workout, indeed.

Our friends at Kerker, who have worked with the YMCA for years, have created a refreshing new TV and radio campaign (on which we did the radio ads) that goes after the well baby-oiled machine that is the low carb bread and tanning butter of most other fitness clubs – the beautiful people scene.

Beth Kinney, the writer for the spots offered that “All/most clubs have nice equipment, nice facilities and so on. The YMCA has worked really hard to update their branches… so, in essence, with all things being equal (in terms of fitness options), they offer an environment that other places can’t; one that is open, accepting, and comfortable–where “wellness” is the goal, not just fitting into size 0. In other words, while some places make you feel like you need to get in shape before you can get in shape, the Y simply takes you as you are and helps you reach your fitness goals.”

Can you feel the love? Sure you can.

The ads center around “Staycie”, a character who is truly as plastic as they come – vain, vacuous, primped up, pushed out and, although she may be pink, – as transparent as can be. This delicious role fell to voice-over talent Heidi Fellner who’s affectations in both the TV and radio were so spot on – you’d swear she were method acting or…perhaps related? (Wink, wink. See above). The announcer was Kim Kivens who, thankfully, lends an air of sensibility to alleviate the histrionics of, “Staycie”. To fill out the sound design, we made “Staycie’s” voice as thin as her waistline, added a touch of reverb for that “in your head” sound, and then mixed in a tune that aped the classic Village People hit from the 70’s.

“Whateevvvvvvvvver”

Here’s the radio spot, “Goodnight” [wpaudio url=”https://www.babble-on-recording.com/wp-content/uploads/old_blog_files/audio/03 Goodnight 60.mp3″ text=”Goodnight” dl=”0″]

And with full credit to our friends over at Fischer Edit (they did everything on this) here’s the TV spot

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Both Heidi Fellner and Kim Kivens can be booked through their Minneapolis voice-over representative, N.U.T.S.