Over three thousand people scanned QR codes featured on GymNation’s London billboards, promoting an ‘escape’ to Dubai for a Self-Defence retreat for Londoners sick of phone thefts. 

The gym brand courted controversy with the campaign, which roasts London for phone thefts. Phone thefts are reported every six minutes in the capital and the campaign targeted hot spots for phone theft. 

Billboards ran in Hackney and Southwark, while guerrilla posters in Soho and advert bikes in Oxford Street and Picadilly Circus highlighted the campaign message. The billboard image has been widely shared on social media, highlighting the growing role of out of home to spark online conversations for challenger brands. 

While on paper running a London-based advertising campaign for a UAE brand might appear confusing, the impact is an earned media campaign with global reach. The retreat itself has received over 600 sign-ups. 

Earned media driving global reach

Since first appearing last week, thousands of social media users reacted to the offer of the chance to learn Self-Defence skills from the UAE’s leading instructor, Jason Woodham.

The idea to offer the British public free spaces on the retreat is a fresh ‘solution’ to restore Londoners' confidence on the streets - amid a phone theft epidemic holding the UK’s capital hostage, according to GymNation CMO, Rory McEntee.

While there is no questioning that London is a hot spot for phone theft, the campaign divided opinion on social media and the streets of London. The campaign attracted 3,400 upvotes on Reddit with one user commenting: ‘Tbh they created a phone theft hotspot as everyone scans the QR code’.

Gymnation’s McEntee explained: “This campaign is incredibly timely, with the Met Police just announcing a new dedicated Chief to find new tactics to tackle phone thefts in London - and the theft figures are staggering”. 

According to data from the Metropolitan Police, phone robberies last year hit a record high of more than 80,000 cases. 

Jason Woodham, who’ll be leading the Self-Defence retreat, is recognised as one of the UAEs leading Self-Defence experts. He added: “It’s a misconception that learning self-defence is just about physical aggression, but actually it teaches you vital skills to reclaim your confidence, be more self aware, and feel empowered. We’re not advocating aggression – we’re teaching composure.” 

The Self-Defence retreat combines physical training, stress management, and urban awareness workshops, teaching participants how to project calm confidence and defuse threats before they escalate.

McEntee added: “We’re not telling people to fight crime with fists – we’re telling them to stop surrendering to fear.”

GymNation is the Middle East’s leading gym operator with 16 UAE locations and 14 KSA locations and is set to have 50 gyms open with 250,000 members across the UAE, KSA & Bahrain by the end of 2025.

The brand is no stranger to embracing a challenger marketing mindset and earlier this year removed weights from its gym floor to shine a light on the heavy weight of mental health challenges.