Next Gen Cardio Launch

Creative direction, planning, production, copy, and collaboration behind a multi‑brand cardio reboot

Overview

When Core Health & Fitness set out to relaunch the main‑floor cardio experience, the goal wasn’t another incremental update. We were aligning Star Trac and StairMaster’s Next Gen 8 & 10 Series with the modern Apex Cardio console family; Then telling one, unified story. My role spanned creative direction, messaging, production leadership, and the cross‑functional orchestration required to make a complex launch feel effortless and human.

Creative North Star

Positioning: Premium yet approachable. Operator‑ready, athlete‑approved.

Aesthetic: Focused, diffused key light with color‑gel accents to sculpt form. Neutral sets that let product textures, edge highlights, and saturated accent colors do the talking. Motion‑forward stills that feel kinetic even when frozen.

Why it matters: Cardio can easily look generic; our lighting plan, camera movement, and wardrobe strategy elevated the equipment to “object of desire” while staying true to everyday usability.

Pre‑Production & Planning

Lighting/motion: sculpted highlights, lip/edge gels, high contrast; explore color‑washed backgrounds where appropriate.

Shotlist: Hero product portraits; UI/console interactions; athlete POVs; low‑angle kinetic passes; groupings that show the family together.

Competitor audit: Documented premium launch tropes (and clichés) to intentionally zig where others zagged.

Location Scouting: Short‑listed Orange County studios (infinity walls, LED volumes, load‑bearing grids) for flexibility in lighting and camera movement. Pre‑walks confirmed power, rigging, load‑in, and sound constraints.

Production Timeline: Sequenced Throwdown HIIT and Cardio days to maximize set continuity (rig once, shoot many) and to cluster athlete call‑times with equipment swaps. This was a two-birds, one-stone week.

Talent, Wardrobe & On‑Camera Credibility

Fitness Pros & MIs: We anchored authenticity with industry leaders—e.g., Doris Thews and Eric Thomson—alongside working athletes and a diverse cast that mirrors real club members. Their coaching cues informed pacing, form, and how we demonstrated features.

Wardrobe Direction: Performance apparel in bold, modern palettes; minimal midriff; layered textures that read under hard light. Shoes and tops selected to complement console glow and frame accents without moiré or logo conflicts.

Why pros matter: Real instruction and natural movement read instantly on camera. Pros keep scenes efficient, believable, and brand‑right.

Shot list to Story: What We Chose to Show (and Why)

Consoles & UI: Tap‑to‑pair, wireless charging, and connectivity presented as effortless—“no extra steps.”

Quick keys & landscape metrics: tight inserts that communicate speed and clarity.

• HIIT Ski, Rower, Bike, MillX, UBE: show universal console language for seamless circuit transitions.

• Practical features (damper, pedal systems, transport wheels, bottle storage) captured as micro‑moments of consideration.

Main‑Floor Heroes

• StairMaster 10G OverDrive sequences (sled push/farmer’s carry integrations) to dramatize intensity.

• Star Trac FreeRunner and 8/10 Series: comfort, “squishies,” and user‑centric touches.

Production Approach

Cinematography: Tight parallax moves, low‑sweep, and selective handheld to put viewers in the athlete’s space. Slow‑shutter motion accents for effort moments; crisp 120fps for mechanical beauty.

G&E: Diffused key through large sources; controlled speculars to celebrate textures; gelled rims for brand‑tone accents. Blacked‑out spill to keep backgrounds clean and premium.

Stills: Built for motion—dynamic frames that translate to hero images, trade print, and high‑impact web banners.

Copy & Messaging

Voice: Confident, human, no jargon. We translated engineering virtue into benefits you can feel: comfort that keeps members moving; intensity that earns loyalty; simplicity that removes friction.

Structural Devices: Short, punchy headlines; benefit‑led decks; “why it matters” callouts; and social‑ready captions. Internal shorthand like “Glow up, but keep it real” helped align teams on tone.

Cross‑Functional Orchestration

We ran a tight loop between Product, Creative, and Marketing; briefs, shot lists, and tech checks all lived in shared docs. Regular stand‑ups with Product ensured priority features were captured. Creative, design, and copy iterated live on set so post would move fast.

Why it worked: Clear ownership, pre‑aligned style guides, and a shared definition of “done.” Dynamic teams succeed when Product sets truth, Creative shapes feeling, and Marketing ensures the story is usable by sales, distributors, and partners.

Deliverables

• Hero film for launch, plus cut‑downs by modality and buyer persona.

• How‑to micro‑videos (e.g., 10G OverDrive) for education and service.

• Photography toolkit: product hero, lifestyle, UI macro, and group family shots.

• Sales enablement: product sheets, distributor ad kits, and landing‑page assets.

• Social system: reels, motion banners, and headline/CTA variants.

Outcomes (Qualitative)

• A coherent visual and verbal language across StairMaster, Star Trac, and Throwdown built recognition on the main floor.

• Distributors and sales teams adopted the toolkits quickly; internal teams reported fewer one‑off asset requests.

• Fitness pros featured in content increased engagement and credibility with operators.

Credits

Creative Direction & Lead Producer: Leslie Marois

Art Direction & Production: Maria Perez

Production Assistant: Leila Khoury

Photography: Ben Bently

DIT: Scott Sebring

Video Director/DP: Matt Rich

Videographer: Daniel Rheaume

Video Editors: Simeon Muller (Kid Giant), Margaux hymel, Robert Pallister

G&E / Lighting: Hunter Rodgers (DarkWolf)

Make-up and Hair: Victoria Vessy and Andrea Lee

Studio Partners: Red Gum Studios

Product Directors: Travis Vaughan, Ella Verhees, David Parkinson

Master Instructors: Doris Thews and Eric Thomson

Featured Athletes: James Young, Lacee Green, Sean Percy Travis, Carmen Tsang, Rachel Neal, Juliet Wisdom, Achidi, Joshua Honore, Emily Moran

launch videos and sizzle reels

Mood Boards

PHOTOGRAPHY

VIDEO CONTINUED

Core Content Hub - DAM

Core’s Content Hub board is our digital asset management system. Everyone from internal staff, to dealer and distributor partners and customers are allowed access to our premium content to promote their equipment offerings.