High-end fitness company Equinox has been facing the heat this New Year for not accepting new members on Sunday, January 1, 2023, in order to discourage those who hit the gym temporarily as part of their New Year's Resolution.If anyone tried to join Equinox on Sunday, they were met with the message:"We don't speak January. We're not accepting new memberships today."Will Mayer, vice president at Equinox and executive creative director, explained that the move aimed to question the "norms of the wellness industry" of making short-term resolutions and giving up.Needless to say, the fitness company faced heavy criticism for its new campaign, with many calling it a "cheap ploy." Twitter user @garnethenderson wrote:Garnet Henderson@garnethendersonGive me a break. Equinox built their entire brand on fetishizing thinness and making people feel like they need to change how they look. Turning around and pretending they don’t engage in the kind of tactics they profit from is a really cheap ploy twitter.com/warjesseagle/s…Jess Smith@WarJessEagle"We don't speak January."Equinox isn't accepting new memberships today. Super bold, super smart, strategically aligned with their brand 303"We don't speak January."Equinox isn't accepting new memberships today. Super bold, super smart, strategically aligned with their brand 👏 https://t.co/abLjFNDjopGive me a break. Equinox built their entire brand on fetishizing thinness and making people feel like they need to change how they look. Turning around and pretending they don’t engage in the kind of tactics they profit from is a really cheap ploy twitter.com/warjesseagle/s…Netizens slam Equinox for new campaign, say it is "contributing to everything wrong with the gym culture"Internet users were disappointed with the luxury fitness company's campaign to not let potential members join the gym on the first day of the year. Twitterati deemed the move "cringe" and "distasteful."Some users called out the brand for never being "accessible," with their high membership charges and brand values.Twitter user @ScottSandalow commented:"One of my biggest litmus tests for communities is their barriers for entry, and steps people and brands are taking to ease those barriers. With this exclusionary and antiquated garbage, Equinox has failed the test."Scott Sandalow@ScottSandalowOne of my biggest litmus tests for communities is their barriers for entry, and steps people and brands are taking to ease those barriers. With this exclusionary and antiquated garbage, Equinox has failed the test.635One of my biggest litmus tests for communities is their barriers for entry, and steps people and brands are taking to ease those barriers. With this exclusionary and antiquated garbage, Equinox has failed the test. https://t.co/OLWNzeLdOFHoards of comments on the micro-blogging platform slammed the brand for its newest "anti-new year resolution" campaign, with many deeming it "elitist" and "exclusionary," and criticizing the company for shaming people who plan to improve themselves.maybe: nick 🗯@omarisoftwickLmfaaoo @Equinox y'all corny as hell. Everybody has their first session. Good on y'all for being exclusionary and contributing to everything wrong with gym culture."wE dOnT sPeAk JaNuArY"Please get a new copywriter. twitter.com/warjesseagle/s…Jess Smith@WarJessEagle"We don't speak January."Equinox isn't accepting new memberships today. Super bold, super smart, strategically aligned with their brand 143"We don't speak January."Equinox isn't accepting new memberships today. Super bold, super smart, strategically aligned with their brand 👏 https://t.co/abLjFNDjopLmfaaoo @Equinox y'all corny as hell. Everybody has their first session. Good on y'all for being exclusionary and contributing to everything wrong with gym culture."wE dOnT sPeAk JaNuArY"Please get a new copywriter. twitter.com/warjesseagle/s…ross alan@rossalanmusic@PopCrave Equinox is a luxury gym, yes. But it's also filled with palpable arrogance. What you pay is NOT worth what you get. To add this totally distasteful campaign to the mix... ew. Imagine shaming people coming to you with their hard earned money wanting to improve themselves. #OverIt11@PopCrave Equinox is a luxury gym, yes. But it's also filled with palpable arrogance. What you pay is NOT worth what you get. To add this totally distasteful campaign to the mix... ew. Imagine shaming people coming to you with their hard earned money wanting to improve themselves. #OverItBrooke LeBlanc@brookeleblancgonna say what everyone else was thinking… the reason why equinox didn’t open new memberships on Jan 1st is because if/when those people try to cancel, equinox customer service team didn’t want to deal with it.431gonna say what everyone else was thinking… the reason why equinox didn’t open new memberships on Jan 1st is because if/when those people try to cancel, equinox customer service team didn’t want to deal with it.Patrick Rogers@patjrogersEquinox gives such loser vibes twitter.com/Equinox/status…Equinox@EquinoxIt’s not you, it’s January. #ItsNotFitnessItsLife2023It’s not you, it’s January. #ItsNotFitnessItsLife https://t.co/Bg6lBnSUR2Equinox gives such loser vibes twitter.com/Equinox/status…Def Noodles@defnoodlesEquinox with the cringiest flex in New Year’s history361Equinox with the cringiest flex in New Year’s history https://t.co/3tifSmZvqZAJ Graves@ajgraves14@Equinox Lol good luck staying in business this year @Equinox Lol good luck staying in business this year 😂😂😂THANK YOURSELF.@badwithfeels@Equinox What this should have said.261@Equinox What this should have said. https://t.co/z8ocZSzrNrChris McGinn@Chris_McGinn_@briancollins1 Equinox always did come across as not being very accessible so I guess it's on brand.13@briancollins1 Equinox always did come across as not being very accessible so I guess it's on brand.Nani ✨🏹✨@lenubienneThis is super cringe and pointless. Aside from the fact that today is Sunday and people are still hungover from last night, this “bold” strategy ends tomorrow. Equinox charges too much money to be this exclusionary. twitter.com/warjesseagle/s…Jess Smith@WarJessEagle"We don't speak January."Equinox isn't accepting new memberships today. Super bold, super smart, strategically aligned with their brand 11030"We don't speak January."Equinox isn't accepting new memberships today. Super bold, super smart, strategically aligned with their brand 👏 https://t.co/abLjFNDjopThis is super cringe and pointless. Aside from the fact that today is Sunday and people are still hungover from last night, this “bold” strategy ends tomorrow. Equinox charges too much money to be this exclusionary. twitter.com/warjesseagle/s…AMOUR@msamourwestEquinox really thought it was a good idea to deny new memberships in January to people who want to get their fitness journey started how lame.Equinox really thought it was a good idea to deny new memberships in January to people who want to get their fitness journey started how lame.kiara@kiaradidwhatEquinox launched an anti-New Year’s Resolutions ad campaign on TikTok by mocking people who use the new year as motivation and it went about as well as expected.Know your personnel, Equinox. This might get you points in AdWeek but everyone knows TikTok hates gym snobs.62Equinox launched an anti-New Year’s Resolutions ad campaign on TikTok by mocking people who use the new year as motivation and it went about as well as expected.Know your personnel, Equinox. This might get you points in AdWeek but everyone knows TikTok hates gym snobs. https://t.co/vTOu2Dfth1alyssa, philly forever@alyssakeikoequinox and i agree on one thing: you should not sign up with them321equinox and i agree on one thing: you should not sign up with themMore about the campaignEquinox is an American luxury fitness company headquartered in New York City. To launch the new campaign, the brand took to its socials, discouraging potential members from joining on January 1, 2023.Explaining its focus on temporary New Year's resolutions, the company stated:"January is a fantasy, delivered to your door in a pastel-colored box. It talks about change. It needs a new outfit before it can begin. Short-cutting, giving up just a few weeks later... And that's not what being part of Equinox is about" View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAccording to Drum, a publication catering to marketing and media agencies, Brian Collins was the brains behind the concept. Collins described the campaign as a way to "snub short-term resolutions" and get more consistently dedicated members to their brand.Vice president Will Mayer added that these short-term resolutions are "farce, laden with mantras and affirmations" that don't push anyone further. Speaking about the brand values, he explained that the company believes that "life is forged in extremes," and that one must push themselves to achieve success. He added:"We can’t in good conscience support the ‘new year, new me’ movement that happens every January."Through the campaign, the company is also aiming to break the "norms" that have taken root in the fitness world. Advertising has also shifted from photographic and visual campaigns to minimal monochromatic messages to reinforce the idea of breaking the norms.The fitness brand stated that the ban would last for the day and would happily accept new members from January 2 onwards.