A whopping 82 percent of adults 18-34 have taken a picture of themselves for the purpose of uploading it to social media. And while there are many types of selfies taken – on vacation, out with friends, makeup free in bed – one seems to have gained momentum in the past two years: the gym selfie. But gyms are crowded, and the lighting isn’t designed with photography in mind. The Edge Fitness Clubs (The Edge) saw an opportunity to create a dedicated space for its members to perfectly capture hard-earned physical results and, let’s face it, show them off a bit via social media.

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At the time of ideation, media was rather quiet on the topic of gym selfies, but there were a handful of articles and some minimal commentary bubbling up online. Hollywood would need to act fast to establish The Edge’s position as an industry leader in fitness trends and experiences.

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After agreeing on program objectives, HWD ascertained that without data to demonstrate the need for a selfie room at the gym, there would be little foundation to drive the conversation. Leveraging Harris Interactive’s On Demand survey platform, the team was able to collect results around which to build an announcement. The survey found that, among over 1,500 U.S. adults who have gone to a gym or fitness studio, 43 percent have taken a picture or video of themselves while there, with 27 percent having taken a selfie.

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Following issuance of a press release leveraging the survey results to support the “need” for the Gym Selfie Room, HWD reached out to relevant media – both fitness/lifestyle and general consumer press – to fuel the conversation. Health and fitness media were eager to cover the Gym Selfie Room. What’s more, a national conversation around the concept began. Media response showed there was no doubt The Edge had struck a chord and, without intending to, had gone viral.

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Coverage spanned across trade (Athletic Business), consumer print (USA TODAY), online (Health.com, Shape.com and MSN.com to name a few), broadcast (KNWA Fayetteville, Ark.) and radio (Tampa, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis and Washington, DC, and as far reaching as Halifax, Nova Scotia). Total impressions for the campaign topped one billion.

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Ultimately, The Edge tabled the Gym Selfie Room launch, but the conversation had taken place and reached far beyond expectations. In fact, it had gone global. Just five months after The Edge announced its plans to launch the Gym Selfie Room and sparked a debate around the concept, a New Zealand fitness club took a page from The Edge and launched its own selfie room.