Ignition secures UK health clubs account

Ignition Claydon Heeley has won the &£2m advertising account for the expanding Motorcise Healthy Living Centres brand.

Motorcise fitness centres, owned by the Fitness & Leisure Group, are designed for women aged 40-plus and have motorised exercise machines.

There are 38 centres in the UK and the company has an ambitious opening programme with a target of 300 centres by 2004. Basic membership is &£396 a year and there is no joining fee.

Ignition Claydon Heeley beat two other agencies to take the account and will also be handling media. Previously, Derby-based Motorcise handled marketing in-house.

The agency has responsibility for developing a creative strategy to run across all media channels including press, radio, direct marketing and sponsorship. It will also devise online activity as there is a high use of the Internet among the target market.

Parent company Reflex Group, a former office equipment rental business, bought Fitness & Leisure in a &£6.6m reverse takeover last September. The Reading company intends to roll out the Motorcise concept across Europe and is opening centres in the US on a franchise basis.

The fitness market is worth an estimated &£600m a year.