A gym owner has defended a controversial billboard he erected to promote his business after it was destroyed.
Ollie Lawrence, who runs the PT Factory in Denton, Manchester, paid for an advert that read “Tired, fat and ugly? Now just be ugly!”
The tongue-in-cheek poster, in which a woman exercises alongside the controversial words, did not sit well with local residents and was quickly smeared with bright yellow paint and spray-painted with the words “This is bad”.
It’s not the first time a gym has used the concept to attract attention – a Long Eaton training center came under fire in 2016 for using the same wording on its billboards.
Ollie Lawrence, who runs the PT Factory in Denton, Manchester, has defended a controversial billboard he erected to promote his company
But Ollie, who founded the gym more than a decade ago, said it was just a “light-hearted joke”.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Ollie said: “I couldn’t believe it. It was just a light-hearted joke. It was not our intention to offend anyone.’
The owner admitted he did market research before putting it up and he thought it would make people laugh.
He said: “Otherwise I wouldn’t have hung it up. We talked to a lot of people beforehand and 99 percent took it for what it was: a joke. We have received thousands of comments saying how brilliant it is.
The ironic poster, which shows a woman working out, reads: “Tired of being fat and ugly? Now just be ugly!’
Gym owner Ollie (pictured) had no malicious intent with the billboard and just wanted to make a funny ad
Ollie said they had only received nine complaints about the billboard and the feedback was mostly positive.
He admitted there was no malicious intent behind the billboard, and he just wanted to make a funny ad describing himself as a “cheeky guy” who got into the fitness industry to help people.
Ollie said he thought whoever smashed the poster was completely out of business because it was very expensive and assured them he planned to put another one up.
Ollie took to the gym’s Instagram page to share photos of the destroyed billboards: “Look at the state in 2022. I literally can’t even post a joke anymore to make people laugh in these tough times.”
Many people rushed to comment in support of the billboard, saying it “made them laugh”.
“Put a smile on someone’s face from hundreds of messages praising us for what it should be! Unfortunately, someone made the choice to do that.
“A report was made to the police and evidence was sent.”
Many rushed to the comments to support the ad, saying it “made her laugh”.
One person wrote: “This poster made me laugh, shame everyone is so offended now.”
Another said: “Wow it’s so sad people can’t take a joke these days. I commend you for the strong marketing decision!”
While another wrote: “This is brilliant!! Too many softies who can’t take a joke these days!’
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
