Chicken Fat - old message, new technology
As we know from our A level PE History, after the poor showing of in the Boer War in 1902 school PE and a lack of fitness was blamed, or used as a scapegoat. The result was The Model Course. This set the development of games coaching back by several years. The development that followed from teachers embracing games as moral education and muscular Christianity had been rapid until then.
The Model Course was under constant attack from teachers and inspectors. It was a return to military emphasis and drill, epitomised in pictures of old school gyms with a military type instructor in the mould of Windsor Davies and huge class sizes; more than 50 with one instructor. As soon as 1904 a new syllabus came in, but the place of ‘drill’ in some PE lessons stayed until at least the 1950’s. There were resurgences after the First World War and
Chicken Fat, also known as “The Youth Fitness Song” was specially written for President Kennedy’s Physical Fitness Program in 1963. Recordings of this song were sent to school districts throughout the United States to accompany the official U.S. Physical Fitness program of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.
It is mirrored by campaigns like “Let’s Move” (Michelle Obama’s campaign to end childhood obesity), and the many government initiatives designed to promote activity and participation in sport in more recent years.
It is clever marketing by Apple of course. Their updated message shows off the range of apps that can be used. Look closely to see the Misfit Shine right at the top of the ad, and there’s a Withings scale, a Zepp Golf sensor and a Wahoo bike sensor in there too. Many other apps make an appearance including the companions to the accessories, Nike+ Running, Strong Lifts and Argus — recognisable by its unique honeycomb design.
"You're more powerful than you think" campaign. In the latest spot, iPhone users swim, run, and weigh themselves, all while connected to apps on their smartphones and while using accessories.
The timing is far from coincidental, Health has become a big focus area for companies across the tech sector. Several have introduced health-centric gadgets, such as the Samsung Gear Fit and Jawbone Up24, and countless others are working on smart glucose meters and similar products. Other companies see an opportunity to mine patient data or collect readings on individuals to predict when they'll get sick and tailor treatment.
The new ad comes as Apple hosts its Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. The company recently showed off the latest version of its iOS mobile software and its Mac OS X operating system, as well as a new smart-home program. It also launched a new programming language, called Swift, to help developers make apps faster.
Another new feature shown by Apple was HealthKit. The software, available this fall with Apple's newly unveiled iOS 8, will let consumers track health-related data and serve as a hub for that information. It includes a corresponding app named Health, which can be used with third-party fitness devices.
The promise, according to what was demonstrated at WWDC, is to knit data from separate apps and even fitness accessories into one repository. Nike, for instance, was named as one company that will be enabling its data into Health. A picture of a Fitbit next to the iPhone shows it won't be the only fitness device to get quick support. And a partnership with the Mayo Clinic promises to import an individual's particular health parameters, like blood pressure, and then contact a hospital if one's readings suddenly get too high.