Activate with Joe Wicks

Half of UK children aren’t meeting recommended daily activity levels, harming physical and mental health. But this issue was too deep-rooted to tackle alone. We needed to reframe movement as joyful, inclusive and built for the way children consume content.

Activate delivered exactly that. Born on a clear strategic principle: meeting families where they are – culturally, emotionally and digitally. Created by Joe Wicks and the makers of Hey Duggee (Studio AKA), this first-of-its-kind animated fitness series provided free, engaging, accessible five-minute bursts of movement that families could do at home. To meet the scale of the challenge, an unprecedented collaboration was formed between Joe and the Department of Health and Social Care. By recognising Activate as a national intervention aligned to public health priorities, government unlocked something no brand or creator could achieve alone: trust at scale, access into schools and communities, and permission to show up as a credible solution. Led by Freuds, joint media moments with Joe and the Health Secretary signalled a collaboration of national importance, while a dynamic social rollout drove Activate into feeds, boosted in low-activity communities. This cross-sector model ensured the campaign was unmissable. The results were extraordinary: 250+ earned pieces, 2.6m YouTube views and 32m impressions in deprived areas. Most importantly, 58,900 ‘movement hours’ in 6 weeks. Activate is now an evergreen tool acquired by the BBC and embedded in schools - setting a new benchmark for how cross-sector collaboration can deliver impact, relevance and reach that no organisation could achieve alone.