Gold's Gym Drops Barbell, Picks Up Yoga Brick

Apparently the Mr. Universe days are over. Gold's Gym, one of his last strongholds, has finally decided to divorce the oil-slicked rock-hard prototype patron of their long heritage to draw yoga mamas and mellow boomers into the building.

With that in mind, Gold's is scrambling to make their $30 million ad budget and 40+ years of illustrious history count for the new crowd, who look at it as a nostalgic symbol of times past. Advertising Age has a spot from their new campaign. It's got an aggressive Gold's feel to it but the imagery is more typical of what you'd find at Bally's or 24 Hour Fitness. The spot isn't particularly thrilling and we worry they're wasting some serious brand equity by being too self-conscious about the competition.

You know what would be really awesome? Starting a Gold's-sponsored Arnold Fitness Challenge, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is whipped back into shape by the frothy little yoga mamas Gold's is trying to hard to court. We'd pay to see that. Well, probably not. But we might at least turn the TV on. Come on, Gold's. Don't be such chickenshits.