Social Workout

Shoe Wars

Nike's Big Fake Butt Ads

Back in 2005, Nike came out with a series of big butt ads. "My butt is big and round like the letter C and 10,000 lunges have made it rounder but not smaller and that's just fine..." read the copy. The image that accompanied these words was a disembodied rump, and this week a whole bunch of people got really excited because they thought Nike had reissued the ads, but this time with a real butt attached to a real lady (see image at left). Alas, turns out the new ad was a fake. One clue: the fakers are bad spellers and presumably Nike has copy editors. ("It's my embassador to those who walk behind me," reads the fake). Nike's actual new ads, we're sad to report, feature no butts whatsoever. Though they do rip on toning shoes, which is kind of fun.

On The Street

Barack Obama Really Wants You To Go To This Pilates Studio

Same West Village Pilates studio as last week, continued love for the Obamas. Not anything on the order of the Times Square Obama coat ad, but still seems a little suspect. At the same time, the Obamas do get me all excited to work out, so...

New York

Newslinks

Spain Deems Diet Products Too Dangerous for TV

A new law is working its way through Spain's parliament: No ads for diet products, or any products and services that "encourage the cult of the body," on TV before 10 P.M. Ad Age reports that the law has already passed in the lower chamber of parliament and is expected to pass the upper chamber in the coming weeks. Spain is already more aggressive than most countries when it comes to combatting warped presentations of the human body. In 2007, they struck a deal with major clothing stores in the country, banning mannequins smaller than size 6. 

Here's what the bill actually says:

Workout Gear

You're an Easy Mark if You Buy EasyTones

Reebok wants you to buy their EasyTone shoes. The ads are everywhere. There's the one where the talking boobs are jealous of the now-toned butt because "no one is looking at us anymore." Then there's the hot one (see below) with the woman lolling about in bed in just her underwear and sneakers. Jezebel says that women should refuse to buy the shoes because the ads are stupid and objectifying. But The New York Times reports that the shoe is Reebok's most successful new product in the last five years, even though it probably doesn't work. All Reebok's claims are based on one study of five women walking on a treadmill for a grand total of like three minutes. The key effect seems to be the placebo: They make women feel like they're getting fitter, so they walk more. We say, skip the EasyTones and go for a Dolce & Gabbana watch.

Body Powered

On Core Strength and Hybrids

It's Friday on the strange sub-tropical island that is Manhattan these days, and we've got dance on our mind. Fitness Fixation is to blame for posting a lovely pas de deux video this morning, which made us hungry for more, which reminded us that Pilobolus is at the Joyce Theater just now for their annual run (until August 8th). This, in turn, prompted a Pilobolus video search, which surfaced the following, (which is ancient, but maybe you've never seen it either), and which is now, officially, our favorite car advertisement of all time....

Online & Video

Underwear Redux

Greatest Ad Ever

Best Yoga Instructor - Libero Diper Commercial - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Genius! Diabolically well-designed to appeal to a certain kind of young mother, no? Cute yoga guys in soft organic cottons, sun drenched yoga loft, a baby.... Curious as to the people behind such a masterpiece, I did some research...

Online & Video