MAKING PILATES
FRIENDLY AGAIN
(with a 10x ROI on ad spend)
How we helped Pilates Xperience launch a premium studio brand and secure 33+ monthly members, before the studio opened — at a 977% ROI.
How do you get monthly paying members to a premium studio... before it even opens?
Pilates Xperience came to us with a bold ambition: to launch a high-end reformer Pilates studio in Texas — before the physical space was even finished.
Our task? Build belief before the doors opened. And turn an unproven idea into something locals wouldn’t just notice or get excited about, but feel confident enough to pay for in advance.
Fortunately, with our neuromarketing lens, we didn’t need to guess what would resonate. Instead, we applied timeless truths from human psychology to map out the emotional and cognitive triggers most likely to inspire action — then crafted ad concepts around those.
Paired with Meta’s precision targeting, we turned that strategic clarity into fast-moving experiments. In just weeks, we identified the angles that clicked, cut what didn’t, and scaled what worked — all with a lean media budget of less than $1,000.
The results, at a glance?
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A CTR that's 336% higher than the industry average
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$22 cost per acquisition for each new paying member
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977% return on investment
Here's how we did it.
We Went Full Neuro
Neuro Audience Analysis
End-To-End Messaging Strategy
Landing Page Copy
Ad Creative Strategy
Ad Creative Creation & Copywriting
Meta Ads Campaign Management
Campaign Reporting & Strategic Optimisation
… all before the studio even opened its doors.
Phase 1: We Used Our Neuro Principles to Make Informed Theories
We started by going deep into the psychology of the audience.
Using our neuromarketing framework, we built a full-spectrum messaging strategy rooted in behavioural science. One that decoded not just what people say they want, but what actually drives them to take action.
We didn’t rely on demographics or generic fitness personas. We mapped the PX audience by how they think, feel, and decide, through three core motivation types:
This psychological mapping became the backbone of everything to come, shaping every headline, CTA, ad, and landing page.
It covered:
✔️ Deep audience fears, desires, and internal objections
✔️ Strategic hooks designed to earn trust, not force urgency
✔️ Tone of voice tailored to sound calm, confident, and human
✔️ Conversion nudges based on proven cognitive biases
In essence, we reverse-engineered what would make a person click, trust, and buy... before the brand had even opened its doors.
Phase 2: Creating Momentum With Minimal Assets
With the messaging strategy in place, we moved fast into execution. But there was one major challenge: the studio didn’t exist yet... and neither did a single branded photo or video.
So, we built what we needed from scratch.
To keep momentum, we developed six ad variants using the only resource available to us: AI-generated imagery, simulating the premium experience we wanted audiences to feel. Each ad was tailored to one of our core psychology segments: rational, emotional, and contextual — and each pushed to a dedicated landing page with a time-sensitive Founder’s offer.
Despite creative constraints, we leaned into scroll-stopping copy and experimental headlines designed to provoke curiosity and test emotional resonance in a completely cold market.
Here are the three AI-only neuro ad concepts...
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But the results were clear: even with strong angles, clickthrough rates stayed modest.
The AI visuals just didn’t create enough trust. Without real photography, instructors, or behind-the-scenes authenticity, it was hard for people to believe in the brand — let alone buy into it.
The CTR average stayed low at 0.54%, and the average CPC hovered around $3. In other words, our creative wasn't connecting. But behind those numbers was the real breakthrough:
Emotionally-driven content clearly resonated the most — even in the absence of visual proof. Ads that spoke to safety, belonging, and relief from judgment consistently outperformed the rest.
This insight would become the foundation for Phase 3.
Phase 3: Real Creative, Real Traction
After Phase 2, we paused ad spend. The data had spoken, and now it was a matter of timing.
We waited until we had real photos from inside the studio: sunlight streaming through windows, shots of the equipment, and glimpses of the inviting space Pilates Xperience had worked so hard to build.
With visual assets in hand, we moved into Phase 3... This time, with proof.
But we didn’t start from scratch. We used the insights from Phase 2 to guide every creative decision. The emotional angle had consistently outperformed, so we leaned all the way in.
We crafted a new set of ads using real photography paired with refined, emotionally resonant copy. This time, the messaging spoke to what we now knew connected the most: the fear of being judged, the relief of being welcomed, the confidence of finding a friendly place to grow.
With real creative and proven emotional messaging, the campaign delivered far beyond industry benchmarks... And validated not just the offer, but the brand itself.
Here are the neuro ad versions, updated with real-life imagery...
The Killer Results
300% Higher Than Industry Average
The Demonstrated ROI of Neuromarketing
Nearly 10x ROI
And that's the revenue just for Month 1 of the new Pilates Xperience members' subscriptions. If we consider the fact that most of them will hold on to their subscription, the ROI becomes astronomical.
"The Neuro Agency really helped us brand our start-up Pilates business, helping us acquire 30+ paying customers by the first week of opening.
This is a great accomplishment for such a business in a competitive market.
They were easy to work with, highly professional, timely with work, transparent, honest, dedicated, and very knowledgeable.
I recommend them 1000000% for your work."
Freddy Agendia, Co-Founder of Pilates Xperience
Summing Up
Pilates Xperience came to us with no studio, no photos, and no social proof — just a bold vision and a deadline. Using our neuromarketing strategy, we crafted messaging that spoke to deep emotional drivers, then tested it through Meta ads using AI-generated content.
Once real studio imagery became available, we refined and relaunched with the most resonant emotional angle... And the results followed.
This wasn’t just a campaign. It was proof of concept, and proof that when you combine emotion, strategy, and smart execution, people don’t just click. They commit.
Excited to see how neuromarketing can work for you?
Get in touch with us here.