The CPG Guys Podcast

Episode: Fitness Marketing with Crunch Fitness’ Chad Waetzig
Date: December 20, 2025
Guests:

• Chad Waetzig, CMO, Crunch Fitness
• Justin Bajan, Co-founder & Creative Director, Familiar Creatures
• Hosts: Shree Rajagopalan & Peter V.S. Bond

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into how Crunch Fitness—led by CMO Chad Waetzig—and their agency partner, Familiar Creatures, strategically approach fitness marketing in both creative and practical ways. The conversation explores marketing to a new generation of gym-goers, how to maintain Crunch's signature irreverent, inclusive voice, the evolution of their "No Judgments" ethos, and the deep partnership between brand and agency. Insights span post-pandemic challenges, campaign-building, evolving consumer needs, and the future role of AI in fitness brand marketing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Founding Stories and Agency Value (05:30–07:02)

• Justin Bajan recaps launching Familiar Creatures in 2018, noting the call to start after a beer brand's acquisition by Anheuser Busch.
  • Value Proposition: "We outsmart brand behemoths," helping underdog brands compete against market leaders with "bespoke, non-traditional ideas."
  • Example: For Crunch, going up against Planet Fitness' scale and budget by leveraging Crunch’s cult-like passion and creative risk-taking.

Chad Waetzig's Cross-Industry Experience (07:02–10:41)

• Chad credits his diverse CPG, hospitality, and entertainment background for shaping his holistic brand leadership.
  • CPG Training (P&G): Strong marketing fundamentals.
  • Hospitality: Teaches "everything speaks"—from décor to the front desk, the whole experience matters.
  • Disney/Entertainment: Focus on "deep, fun experiences" and making sure "your consumer's having fun."
  • Crunch’s Unique Opportunity: Melding classical marketing with a culture that’s all about fun, inclusivity, and authentic experience.

Building the Brand/Agency Partnership (12:04–16:27)

• First Collaboration: Introduced by a franchisee during the pandemic's aftermath.
  • Crunch's longstanding use of irreverent humor and a challenge: balancing edgy, insider jokes with inclusiveness.
  • Strategic Need: "Crack the code" on humor that draws on real consumer insight to highlight Crunch's emotional—not just rational—benefits.
• Justin: Highlights agency's challenger brand DNA—learned from campaigns for Geico ("how to get jokes over the plate for mass appeal, not just 'nerdy guys'").
  • Chad saw immediate value in this nuanced humor and inclusive storytelling.

Campaigning Through Crisis and Rebirth (15:18–17:54)

• Pandemic Challenge: Crunch needed to "reintroduce people back into the gym" with both safety assurances and emotional buy-in.
  • Pitched two post-pandemic campaign concepts—Crunch adopted both, one after the other.

The "No Judgments" Ethos (17:54–22:52)

• Chad: Two major insights drive Crunch's brand:
  1. "Gyms are intimidating places." Many feel they must "get fit before joining a gym." Crunch combats this with an inclusive, body-positive culture.
  2. "Motivation to work out is hard." The crucial decision is showing up. Crunch focuses on making the gym experience enjoyable—fun classes, encouraging staff, puns on the wall—all designed to overcome barriers.
• Justin: "No Judgments" isn't just a tagline—it's core to Crunch’s culture since the 90s. This ethos gets reflected in:
  • Inclusive casting in ads (from newbies to veterans).
  • Creative work that welcomes, never isolates.
  • Comment on competitors: "Planet Fitness... even stole 'no judgments' to an extent."

Balancing Boldness and Inclusivity (22:53–26:14)

• Humor & Tone: Crunch's humor celebrates members of all levels versus other gyms' "poking fun" at certain types.
  • New campaign "Feel Good Here" built on insight: fitness equals mental as well as physical wellness. For "young, strong, and social" adults (18–39), gym is "solace" from a polarized, stressful world.

Campaign Development Process (26:14–29:55)

• Chad: Highly collaborative. No "throwing a brief over the transom"—brand and agency work "hand in glove" on annual strategic concepts.
• Justin: The 2026 campaign was deeply informed by large-scale qualitative research—member interviews and focus groups.
  • “It changed some of our assumptions … made our work much richer and more informed beyond just gut.”

Measuring Campaign Success & Evolving the Brand (29:55–31:10)

• Impactful Results: Latest campaign improved aided awareness by 66%, doubled ad recall, tripled purchase intent.
• Campaign Evolution: As awareness grows, messaging can evolve beyond fundamentals into deeper, more emotive storytelling.

Biggest Creative Challenge: Post-Pandemic Repositioning (31:10–33:47)

• Chad: "How do you come out of the pandemic?" The agency "leaned right into it."
• Justin: Stakeholder alignment was hard (CEOs, operations, franchisees)—required in-person, mediation-style meetings to forge lasting strategy: "making people feel good."

Navigating Tone in Fitness Marketing (34:44–36:20)

• Justin: Marketers must avoid both "intimidation" (all bodybuilders) and "no aspiration" (too easy).

  • Aim to "root for the characters you see," whether they're seasoned or new.

• Chad: Highlighted authenticity—many campaign extras are real Crunch members and employees, not just models.

Integrating Digital & Hybrid Fitness (37:09–41:15)

• Chad: Crunch campaigns center brick-and-mortar experiences, but their "young, strong, and social" demographic expects digital options too.
  • During lockdowns, Crunch streamed workouts free to all members.
  • Their new platform, Crunch Plus (over 700 classes), complements—not replaces—the in-gym experience.

Lessons on Building Strong Brand–Agency Relationships (41:15–44:25)

• Justin: "Get past the holding of agendas"—true success comes from transparency, honesty, and treating each other as partners, not adversaries.
• Chad: "The agency is only as good as the client." Brands should be transparent, honest, and business-focused: "Great work and business-building work can go hand in hand."

Looking to the Future: AI and Fitness Marketing (44:25–47:07)

• Chad: AI is top of mind—distinguishing hype from real tech is tough.
  • AI's role: hyper-personalized communications, member engagement, and ultimately overcoming barriers for new fitness journeys.
  • AI will (eventually) help personalize workout recommendations and spark more demand for in-person training.
  • On creative: cautious about creating commercials using AI—focus on genuine, authentic messaging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We outsmart brand behemoths... with non-traditional ideas. It’s not a playbook approach, it’s bespoke and custom to help you punch above your weight."
  — Justin Bajan (05:54)

• "Everything speaks... Oftentimes, the brand grows from the inside out, and is delivered by housekeepers making minimum wage, somebody at the front desk late at night... pulling together a brand story that encompasses all of that... is what I drew from hospitality."
  — Chad Waetzig (08:07)

• "No one ever leaves the gym and says, 'Gosh, I wish I hadn't done that.' But a lot of people, an hour after they could have gone, say, 'God, I wish I had gone to the gym.'"
  — Chad Waetzig (18:52)

• "The strongest challenger brands have a mission and ethos they don't just say, they live out."
  — Justin Bajan (21:24)

• "Our humor never pokes fun at other gym goers. We admire everyone working hard to be their best selves. That’s worth celebrating."
  — Chad Waetzig (23:52)

• "It's never the client vs. the agency... If you can break past that and have a deeper relationship, you’re going to both come with richer work together."
  — Justin Bajan (41:28)

• "I would love to win awards, but at the end of the day, I want to generate more sales, transform more lives, and have more people and more Crunch in the world."
  — Chad Waetzig (44:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Founding Familiar Creatures & Challenger Brand Mindset: 05:30 – 07:02
• Chad on Brand Equity from Diverse Industries: 07:34 – 10:41
• Origin of Crunch x Familiar Creatures Partnership: 12:04 – 16:27
• No Judgments Ethos & Inclusive Creative: 17:54 – 22:52
• Elevating the Crunch Brand Post-Pandemic: 31:10 – 33:47
• Balancing Tone in Fitness Marketing: 34:44 – 36:20
• Digitally-Infused Marketing Strategy: 37:09 – 41:15
• Secrets of Lasting Brand–Agency Partnerships: 41:15 – 44:25
• The Future: AI and Fitness Marketing: 44:25 – 47:07

Episode Tone

The conversation is energetic, optimistic, and deeply collegial—reflecting the irreverent yet purposeful tone Crunch Fitness is famous for. Both guest and agency share a candid, insightful, and sometimes humorous perspective, offering actionable wisdom for marketers navigating a rapidly-changing, omnichannel world.