Part of the latest ad campaign for Equinox Fitness, a guy wielding a Manneken Pis:
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On its website, the company assures us that “Equinox isn’t just a fitness club, it’s a temple of well-being.” And the ad campaign tells us that the clubs can embolden you to shed your inhibitions.
From the Fashionista blog on 12/30, “Equinox Taps Rankin for Provocative Ad Campaign: The famed fashion photog brings his portrait skills to the fitness chain” by Dhani Nau:
While we’re not usually in the habit of writing about gyms — unless enough models work out in it, of course — Equinox has become an exception due to its highly-produced, attention-grabbing ad campaigns, which are often shot by fashion photographers.
… The fitness giant’s latest campaign, set to debut on Jan. 1 (just in time for those New Year’s resolutions), comes from another legendary fashion photographer: Rankin, who’s done everything from help found alternative fashion magazines like Dazed & Confused and Hunger to shoot a Miley Cyrus video … Known for shooting portraits, Rankin’s ads for Equinox aren’t particularly fitness-related, but they are intentionally attention-grabbing.
They’re an extension of Equinox’s “Equinox Made Me Do It” narrative and the shots are meant to convey how working out at Equinox can result in heightened confidence and therefore lower inhibitions. One female model is seen shaving her head; a male model is seen wearing women’s clothing and heels [but no blouse].
The guy in #1 is confidently hefting a reproduction of Manneken Pis (various firms sell such reproductions, for your garden or living room or wherever) —
is a landmark small bronze sculpture in Brussels, depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain’s basin. It was designed by Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1618 or 1619. (Wikipedia link)
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