Spar unveiled its spring campaign fronted by fitness guru Mr Motivator in an effort to increase footfall and reinforce its role within local communities.

Titled ‘Fuel Your Spring’, the marketing drive is centred around a month-long in-store activation designed to encourage smaller, more frequent shopping trips.

It went live last month.

Spar’s parent company AF Blakemore’s CJ Antal-Smith takes us behind the scenes of the campaign. The marketing drive was centred around the ‘Step to Spar‘ challenge which encouraged shoppers to walk to their local stores.

Antal-Smith explains that the team wanted the marketing drive to feel “simple, positive and rooted in everyday behaviour”. It also had to feel true to Spar’s branding.

She says: “The insight was clear: people want to move more, feel better and stay connected to their local community…..but they need easy ways to do it. Millions of people already walk to Spar, so Step to Spar builds on that natural behaviour and rewards it.”

To launch the campaign, Spar hosted a “community walk” in Birmingham, near Spar’s parent company AF Blakemore’s Willenhall headquarters.

According to Antal-Smith, the community walk “brought the campaign” to life in a way that was authentic to the brand. The team wanted to launch the marketing drive using a method that “genuinely” created a sense of community

She says: “It also demonstrated the spirit of the challenge which links movement, connection and positivity”.

She adds that the marketing drive reinforces “what SPAR has always stood for: being part of everyday life in local communities”.

She explains: “Step to SPAR shows that convenience retail can play a meaningful role in wellbeing and connection. It positions SPAR as a retailer that understands its customers and supports their lifestyle”.

“It’s about more than footfall; it’s about strengthening the relationship between SPAR stores and the communities they serve.”

Mr Motivator was the right fit for the brand as he wants to make movement accessible to everyone. He embodied everything the campaign stood for, bringing positivity and energy.

Antal-Smith explains: “He’s a familiar, trusted figure who brings joy to the idea of getting active. His involvement helped us create a launch moment that was fun, inclusive and memorable. You think of Mr Motivator and you understand the campaign!”

The firm has reported that early engagement for the campaign has been encouraging. The Birmingham launch event saw a large turnout and it has seen an uptake of Step to Spar cards at participating stores.

She says: “Early indicators are positive. Stores are reporting increased repeat visits from customers taking part in the challenge, and the feedback from shoppers has been overwhelmingly supportive. People like the mechanic’s simplicity and the feel‑good nature of the rewards.”

Antal-Smith explains that success has been measured in three ways; increased visit frequency, customer participation and positive feedback from consumers and retailers.

She comments: “If we can help customers feel better, support local stores and drive incremental spend through repeat visits, then we’ve achieved what we set out to do.”

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