Digital Byte 57: The Basic Fit Backpack
June 10th, 2025
Every time I fly back to Madrid to visit my team, I see them again.
That backpack.
Gray. A little boxy. Bright orange accents. The Basic Fit logo stamped across the back.
At first, I didn’t think much of it. It’s not trendy or sleek. Not the kind of thing anyone’s showing off on Instagram.
But then I started seeing them everywhere. On the metro. In parks. At the airport. Hanging off café chairs while people sip their cortados.
If you haven’t heard of it, Basic Fit is one of the biggest gym chains in Europe. Think Planet Fitness, but in Spain, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. And when you sign up for an annual membership, they give you a backpack. No upsell. No gimmick. Just a backpack.
It’s not even their main product. The gym is. But that little backpack might be doing more for their brand than any paid ad campaign.
Why? Because when you give someone something useful, something they actually bring with them into everyday life, you don’t need to ask them to share your brand. They already are.
That backpack turns new members into walking, commuting, errand-running brand advocates.
It’s simple, visible, and probably has a stronger ROI than a billboard or ad.
Seeing all those backpacks got me thinking. Smart marketing doesn’t have to be flashy. Sometimes, it’s the small, thoughtful touches that create the biggest impact.
So here’s the question I’ve been sitting with:
What’s your version of the Basic Fit backpack?
It doesn’t have to be a physical item. It could be a phrase. A tool. A shared ritual. Something your audience wants to carry with them. Something that says, “You’re part of this.”
Because the smartest marketing isn’t always the loudest.
It’s the one that sticks.
Stay Inspired,
Sydney Addis
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