Gold’s Gym new awareness campaign incorporates social media networking, a microsite and some interesting athletic training. The campaign is intended to be humourous as it helps participants fight “the fastest growing aesthetic affliction in the United States” - cankles.

The fitness chain’s microsite, Saynotocankles.com, comes right in time for summer bathing suit season and has everything from what causes cankles, ways to work out your cankles and even style tips to cover them up. The microsite also features celebrity quizzes, asking participants who has the best ankles in Hollywood.

The creative, which was led by McKinney in Durham, N.C., is hoping the humour will intrigue participants to visit not only the microsite, but the Facebook fan page and use the subsequent application as well.

The joke may have missed its mark for some consumers, as there has been some negative attention surrounding the idea. With language such as saddlebags, moops and the ability to send friends muffin tops or tough love gifts such as a towel snap, it’s hard to believe that Gold’s Gym didn’t see this all coming.

“There are a lot of different awareness-type [campaigns] for everything. We thought this was a fun, lighthearted way to drive attention to a very serious issue in our country, and that’s obesity”, said CMO Lisa Zoellner.

While I believe Gold’s Gym had no intention of offending consumers, this campaign is surely prove a great opportunity to learn more about its business, customer engagement and community needs. Despite the economic slump Zoellner believes campaigns such as these help “differentiate the brand and stand out above the rest.”