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Tired of being fat and ugly? Now just be ugly! ‘: Gym owner defends controversial billboard after locals vandalize it
- Ollie Lawrence, who runs PT Factory in Denton, defends controversial billboard
- The tongue-in-cheek ad read ‘Tired of being fat and ugly? Now be ugly!
- While many found the ad ‘hilarious’, some locals took offense and tore it apart.
A gym owner has defended a controversial billboard he put up to promote his business after it was vandalized.
Ollie Lawrence, who runs the PT Factory in Denton, Manchester, paid for an ad that read ‘Tired of being fat and ugly? Now be ugly!
The tongue-in-cheek poster, which shows a woman exercising alongside the controversial words, did not go down well with locals and was quickly defaced with bright yellow paint smeared all over it and the words ‘this is bad’ spray painted across it.
It’s not the first time a gym has used the concept to gain attention: a training center in Long Eaton came under fire in 2016 for using the same wording on its billboards.
Ollie Lawrence, who runs the PT Factory in Denton, Manchester, has defended a controversial billboard he put up to promote his business.
However, Ollie, who installed the gym more than a decade ago, said it was just a “lighthearted joke”.
Talking with him manchester Evening News, Ollie said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. It was just a lighthearted joke. It was not our intention to offend anyone.
The owner admitted that he had done some market research before putting it up and thought it would make people laugh.
He said: ‘I wouldn’t have put it any other way. We talked to a lot of people beforehand and 99 percent have seen it for what it is: a joke. We have received thousands of comments saying how brilliant it is.
The tongue-in-cheek poster, which shows a woman working out, read ‘Tired of being fat and ugly? Now be ugly!
Gym owner Ollie (pictured) had no malicious intent with the billboard and just wanted to make a fun ad.
Ollie said they only received nine complaints about the billboard and the feedback was mostly positive.
He admitted there was no malicious intent with the billboard and just wanted to make a fun ad, describing himself as a “happy-go-lucky guy” who got into the fitness industry to help people.
Ollie said he thinks whoever vandalized the sign was totally out of business because it was so expensive, and he assured them he plans to put up another one.
Taking to the gyms Instagram page to share snaps of the vandalized billboards, Ollie wrote: ‘Look at the state of this in 2022. I literally can’t post a joke anymore to make people smile in these tough times.
Many people were quick to comment in support of the billboard saying that it “made them laugh.”
‘Out of hundreds of messages praising us for what it should be like, putting a smile on someone’s face! Unfortunately someone has decided to do this.
The police have been informed and evidence has been sent.
Many were quick to comment in support of the ad saying it “made them laugh.”
One person wrote: “This poster made me laugh, it’s a shame everyone is so offended now.”
Another said: ‘Wow, it’s so sad how people can’t take a joke these days, I praise you for the strong marketing choice!’
While someone else wrote: ‘This is great! Too many soft people who don’t know how to take a joke these days!
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