Fitness Tracker Whoop Spins Pop-Culture Riddles for Connected World

Sculptured, glistening bodies roam a mysterious void as male and female speakers pose pop-culture riddles about sports, entertainment and current events, with helpful hints flashing on screen.

Such highly stylized scenes drive "Know Yourself," the first-ever TV campaign from wearable fitness monitor Whoop. Droga5 and directing duo Rubberband (aka Jason Filmore Sondock and Simon Davis) developed the work.

According to the mostly black-and-white hero spot below, it's all fine to cram-jam our brains (or at least our browsers) full of fun factoids, statistics and trivia. At the same time, we should also strive to acquire just as much knowledge about our ourselves, in order to live happy, healthier lives.

The artsy approach feels refreshing, while retaining the physical dimension and sweat quotient we've come to expect from the category.

If it seems a tad perplexing at first glance, well, Whoop says that's intentional, as the spot is designed to challenge audiences. Many of us have mastered the zeitgeist, but are we prepared to make personal improvements, mentally and physically? If so, Whoop stands ready to provide the vital information we'll need, tracking our exercise, recovery and sleep metrics.

"We wanted to create a different kind of sports-performance commercial solely focused on the body,"  Droga5 creative director Lauren Ferreira tells Muse. "To do that, we stripped away the stadiums, the fans, the set, even the color of the film—leaving us with a surreal void that highlights the musculature of our performers."

Artist/musicians Mumu Fresh and Shane Eli bring a playful bounce to the voiceover. "The film is supposed to be a bit playful, and we like the idea of a duet—the duo going back and forth—almost like athletes competing," Ferreira says.

Here's the script, which reads like abstract poetry:

"You know a lot
About a lot.

You know 6'3" hits threes
'98 marked the sixth
And kings see courts in 20/20.

When literally means figuratively
And peach doesn't mean peach.
That likers can be haters
Fingers find you action
And feet speak in French.

Days have routines
And nights have a rhythm.

You know love means nothing
And sisters win everything
One is 15
And three's 40.

That fores can't be counted
And tiger coats are green.

You know 26.2 in 2 was impossible
Until it wasn't
That bad knees need good kicks
And good kicks finish strong.

You know the inside of everything.
Except you.

Know yourself."

"This was about celebrating our audience's unique knowledge," Ferreira says. "For that reason, we had to make sure these 'riddles' weren't easy to crack at a glance. The point is to draw people in to really investigate how much they know and realize that when it comes to themselves, they're still in the dark."

Rubberband shot the film over the course of a single day with actors Kyreed Jordan and Tiffany Hendricks getting physical for the camera.

"We wanted to find performers who could play every sport imaginable and look graceful in the process," Ferreira says. "Kyreed and Tiffany both stood out as able to deliver on everything from three-pointers to pirouettes."

CREDITS

Client Whoop
Campaign Know Yourself
Title Know Yourself

Agency Droga5 NY
Co-Chief Creative Officer Tim Gordon
Co-Chief Creative Officer Felix Richter
Creative Director Lauren Ferreira
Senior Art Director Bastien Grisolet
Copywriter Sara Muchnick
Copywriter Diana Perez
Copywriter Gabe Santana
Art Director Stefan Folio
Art Director Germany Lancaster
Executive Design Director Rich Greco
Designer Leslie Cheng
Director of Film Production Jesse Brihn
Producer, Film Jake Herman
Senior Music Supervisor Mike Ladman
Executive Producer, Experiential Shayan Amir-Hosseini
Producer, Interactive Aaron Matys
Strategist Justin Clagette
Senior Communications Strategist Clark Cofer
Account Director Cara Roberts
Project Manager Danielle Gibbons
Junior Project Manager Oli Pleydle

Client WHOOP
Chief Marketing Officer Antonio Bertone
SVP, Marketing John Sullivan
Creative Director Ursula Nickerson

Production Company Smuggler / LFR
Director rubberband.
DOP Norm Li
DOP (B Cam) Jason Filmore Sondock
Executive Producer Sue Ahn
Producer Luigi Rossi

Editorial Whitehouse Post
Editor Nate Katz
Assistant Editor Spencer Roth-Rose
Executive Producer Caitlin Grady
Producer Ryan Smith

Post Production Carbon
Executive Producer Nick Haynes
Creative Director Liam Chapple
Colorist Aubrey Woodiwiss
Color Producer Laurie Adrianopoli
Motion Graphics Maxime Benjamin
Producer Tessa Treanor

Music Found Objects
Track Title Dig Deeper
Executive Creative Directors Trevor Gureckis & Jay Wadley
Creative Director & Composer Ben Marshall
Composer Adam Weiss
Executive Producer Jennie Armon
Producer Nick Chomowicz
Music Coordinator Agatha Lee

Sound Wave Studios
Executive Producer Vicky Ferraro
Producer Eleni Giannopoulos
Mixer Aaron Reynolds

Media Agency Noble People
Group Account Director Matt Borchard
Group Strategy Director Josh Millrod
Group Media Director Olivia Young
Media Director Danny Weisman
Associate Broadcast Director Paige Osborne
Media Supervisor Edward Smith