This is the industry built on becoming your best self. We believe that pursuit shouldn't stop at the body—it should show up in the work. That’s why we created Branding the Barbell.
If you’re new here, welcome.
If you’re an OG, welcome back.
We’re relaunching this publication with a streamlined mission to be a collective for the founders, marketers, creatives, and athletes who want the fitness and sport industry to be known for setting the gold standard—in the boldest creative, the fairest partnerships, and the widest table.
Our Philosophy
Branding the Barbell treats the gym as the model for how a creative community should work. You show up, you do the work alongside people who push you, someone spots you when you're going for a PR, and everyone leaves stronger than they came in. The fitness industry already knows how to build people up—we think it should build its brands, its creative, and its culture the same way.
The throughline is form.
In training, good form is doing the movement correctly and beautifully—the two are inseparable. That's exactly what we want from fitness branding: work that's done right (fair to athletes, honest, inclusive) and done beautifully (sharp, considered, alive).
Good form is the standard everything gets held against.
What we have programmed
We’re writing about and interviewing the people actively doing the work you see in your feeds—or don’t see, but should.
Never before seen/read interviews with the creatives, artists, and athletes we can't stop watching.
Behind-the-scenes on the campaigns you couldn't scroll past: how they were built, what almost broke, why they worked, details you can’t get anywhere else.
Honest breakdowns on campaign flops, and what we'd have done differently.
A community of creatives who want to see and build the best brands and campaigns.
What’s up, we’re Tatum & Mackenzie.
We created the space we couldn’t find.
A central hub for breakdowns + exclusives about good creative work in the fitness, wellness and sport industry. We’re not here to gatekeep or critique, but rather demystify the strategies and practices of those doing the best work in this field.
Join us
This publication serves as a community of creatives who want to see and build the best brands and campaigns in this industry.
So yes, subscribe, but more than that—help us build a community in pursuit of excellent and equitable work.
See a brand nail it? Send it.
Slide into the DMs with a piece of creative you're obsessed with.
Send us the TikTok that stopped your scroll.
Tag us when you catch a fitness brand doing something genius with their ad space.
We're always listening.
Very cool, congratulations! Looking forward to seeing great work ✨👏 and great Substack Icon too 🤩