It’s SELF Magazine’s 20^th Anniversary, and to celebrate, SELF decided to pair with HerCampus.com to bring the massively successful annual Workout in the Park event to one college campus. With so many great colleges to choose from, picking just one lucky campus to host the first ever Workout on the Quad event was nearly impossible.

So, rather than making the difficult choice, SELF decided to leave the decision in the hands of the students and approached SMERC to figure out a way to use the award winning Workout in the Park Social Game to let students decide which school should host.

And thusly, the SELF Workout in the Park Social Game Challenge was born!

Students chose their school and competed against players from other schools to earn the most points by completing workouts and finishing quests.

Perform workouts to earn points for your school!

A leaderboard tracked top schools and top players so participants could see how their school was doing and how their contributions stacked up to those of the other players.

Check how your school is doing and how many points you've earned for it on the Leaderboard!

Two weeks later, thousands of participants had entered over 100 major American universities to win the chance to host the Workout on the Quad event.

Leading schools boasted scores representing up to 10,000 in-game workouts performed by students hoping for their school to win.

Stay tuned HERE for the official announcement of the winning school.

See what other new features we’ve got going for SELF Workout in the Park HERE!

SELF Workout in the Park Presented by Nike + Kinect Training!

We’ve bragged before about SELF Workout in the Park. It’s our massive Facebook social app, we’ve said. It makes a fun game out of reaching fitness goals and increasing the health and well-being of the player’s avatar, we’ve bragged. We’ve even not-so-humbly pointed out the many steps we’ve taken to fuel progress towards real-world self improvement goals. We are very proud and not at all shy about it. But we aren’t the only ones working at the intersection between gaming and health.

Nike + Kinect Training for XBOX

Nike and XBOX have partnered to create Nike + Kinect Training, which offers XBOX Kinect users the chance to receive personalized Nike training with real-time coaching. All without having to leave the house. Nike + Kinect Training is a valuable workout experience and a great gaming experience at the same time.

So it makes sense that when XBOX wanted to promote their awesome new workout/gaming hybrid, they turned to another workout/gaming hybrid: SELF Workout in the Park.

To fully showcase Nike + Kinect Training we decided to present players with a total park takeover! Banners above and below the game frame advertise Nike +  Kinect Training, while the loading screen proudly displays new ‘Presented By’ animated images with the Nike + Kinect Training logo.

The Loading Screen includes 'Presented By' animations and branded banner advertisements.

An in-game popup lets players know whats going on and points them to a NEW in-game item: the Kinect Yoga Mat.  This new Yoga Mat, branded with a “Kinect for XBOX360″ logo, is available for a limited time only and offers players a special resource boost whenever they work out on it.

Kinect Yoga Mat

We think Nike and XBOX are doing great things with the Kinect and we are glad to be working with them to make exercise less of a chore and more fun!

Get your own Kinect Yoga Mat for a limited time HERE!

We are proud to announce that our recent collaboration with SELF Magazine, the Facebook social game sensation SELF Workout in the Park, has won the Digiday Sammy Award for Best Branded Social Game!

Despite steep competition from some of the biggest movers and shakers in the industry, including Electronic Arts and Samsung, SMERC and partners SELF Magazine, Replayful, and Kontagent received the award for our work on SELF Workout in the Park, the fitness themed Facebook social game with real-world self improvement features.

SELF Workout in the Park

With SELF Workout in the Park, we set out to create a game built from the ground up to represent the three core elements of the SELF Magazine brand: Women’s Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness. Since Best Branded Social Game is an award which honors the best use of social gaming for ‘entertainment, connection, content or branded content,’ I think it’s safe to say we accomplished what we set out to do.

We have always known that SELF Workout in the Park was a winner, but it was great to have all the hard work recognized with one of the most prestigious awards in our field.

You may cheer our victory and touch our capes if you like. Or you can just check out SELF Workout in the Park for yourself HERE!

It’s been a busy week for SMERC and  SELF Workout in the Park. First we received glowing reviews and player response for our Workout in the Park Mobile app and now we’ve been nominated for a Digiday Sammy Award in the Best Branded Social Game category!

SELF Workout in the Park

The Sammy Awards honors ‘overall excellence and breakthrough achievement in Social Advertising, Media and Marketing.’

The Best Branded Social Game is given for the best use of social gaming for ‘entertainment, connection, content or branded content.”

Past Sammy Award winners include a who’s who list of industry juggernauts and our fellow finalists include all the biggest movers and shakers of today’s social media world.

If we were capable of humility, we would say it’s an honor just to be nominated. If.

Check out the Sammy Awards here.
Or check out SELF Workout in the Park and see for yourself what all the hubbub is about.

As we’ve reported SELF Workout in the Park mobile which is the companion to the Facebook game has launched. Check out the new review of our on Games.com.

Nutrition mini-game

Self Workout in the Park puts mobile gamers to work on iPhone, iPad

This mobile version of the social game of the same name brings many of the same concepts over to a smaller screen, like mini games that are fitness and health-themed. But perhaps the most interesting features are those that drive players to make a change in their lifestyle, like the My Goals feature. This keeps track of players’ real-life goals, rewards them for staying the course and makes it possible for players to motivate their friends to join in on the action.

Read all about it on Games.com!

When we developed SELF Workout in the Park, our primary task was to create a rewarding game experience centered on reaching fitness goals and increasing the health and well-being of a personal avatar in a fun customizable environment. We achieved that easily enough, but we had another more sinister agenda: to find a way to help players take the inspiration they draw from their Workout in the Park exploits and use it to fuel progress towards real-world self improvement goals.

The Workout in the Park you already know and love.

We decided the best way to do this was to create a way for players to gamify their own real world fitness goals, to chart personal progress, and to apply those goals and that progress towards Workout in the Park.

Essentially, we wanted players to be able to take their Workout in the Park with them into their own real world workout!

 

Our solution is the Workout in the Park Mobile game.

The Workout in the Park you'll come to know and love.

 

 

 

Workout in the Park Mobile, available for FREE on iTunes, allows players to set real world goals, check-in at real world activities and events, and play fun mini-games to earn in-game rewards.

 

 

 

 

Meet your goals and earn in-game rewards!

 

 

 

Set fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals such as Work Out More, Drink More Water, and Get More Sleep. Taking steps to reach these goals not only helps our players be their best selves, it also earns rewards for the player’s avatar!

 

 

 

 

Check In to Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness activities and events and post your actions to Facebook!

 

 

Check-In at daily fitness, nutrition, or wellness activities. Players receive in-game rewards by checking in when they go for a walk, stop by the health food store, or spend some time relaxing at a café with a friend. Players receive major rewards for checking in at big events like SELF’s massive annual Workout in the Park event!

 

 

 

Play the same Mini-Games you love from the Workout in the Park web app wherever you like on your mobile device and apply the rewards you earn towards your avatar’s park!

Earn Nutrition points playing the Smoothie Challenge, Fitness points with the Fitness Puzzle Challenge, and Wellness points with the Zen Match Challenge.

 

We think Workout in the Park Mobile is the perfect companion to the Workout in the Park web app and completes an unparalleled cross-platform gaming experience that rewards real-world participation and personal fitness growth.

It’s also really fun, and that’s kinda what SMERC is all about.

Download the game here.

Girlgamer took a look at our new Facebook game SELF Workout in the Park and seemed to like what they saw:

Playing SELF Workout in the Park has honestly been a motivating factor in all the real-life exercise I’ve been getting lately. It’s a great mix of instant gratification and short to mid-range goals. A few ladies I know who play the game get really competitive and have fun with it.

We are really glad to hear that people are finding Workout in the Park as motivational as it is fun. We worked hard to create an experience that took the typical social game structure and…ran with it. As GG says,

Rather than invest in a farm, zoo, etc. players invest in themselves (or rather an avatar version of themselves), earning Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness.

It’s awesome that people are picking up what we’re putting down. Click here to read the entire review!

Check out this Craigslist ad we found: 3 girls needed for SELF Magazine Workout in the Park Event

Trust us, it’s not as creepy as it sounds! Self Magazine is looking for real-life NPC’s to show off Workout in the Park at the massive events for which the game is named.

 The Character Brand Ambassadors will represent the brand by providing product information, while interacting with consumers, promoting the new game and handing out product related literature. The Character Brand ambassadors may also be required to play the game on a laptop and assist guests with logging into Facebook, downloading the game application, creating their own avatar, and handing out special promotions or giveaways.

So, if you’re going to one of the three events in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago keep your eyes peeled for Jasmine, Mia, and Chloe. Ask them to show you the game. Ask them about Fitness, Wellness, and Nutrition. Ask for their numbers. But don’t tell them we put you up to that last one.

Reuters covers the “explosive growth of advertising in social games” and guess what awesome new game they chose to single out.

Self magazine Publisher Laura McEwen sits in her office in the posh Conde Nast building overlooking New York’s Times Square and does nothing but play video games for at least an hour or two a day.

She isn’t goofing off — she is doing market research for “Self Workout in the Park,” a video game she helped create to capitalize on the explosive growth of advertising in social games like the ones played on Facebook and other online networks.

We have worked hard to become the best at expanding and enhancing brand presence across the social media landscape and the opportunity to help well-established brands like SELF make the transition to new media is what we are all about.

Click here to read the entire article

Few things are worse in the world than a flabby avatar.

- The New York Times

They  grow up so fast. You blink and they’re out the door. Making their way in the world. And you’re just. So. Proud. It is with the pride of a creepily overbearing father that SMERC announces the release out into the world of our new massive social game, Self Workout in the Park.  

Design a park this pretty. Double dare ya.

Based on Self magazine’s massive annual events by the same name, Workout in the Park integrates real world pursuits with elements of social gaming to create an inimitable experience. Workout in the Park has players create and customize an avatar and design a park in which the avatar can work out. Working out and completing fitness, nutrition, and wellness challenges help earn players experience to level up their avatar. Leveling up unlocks even more customization options. Working out also increases an avatar’s body tone, changing how she looks.

Players can visit friends’ parks or invite friends over to work out on their equipment. Particularly friendly players can send encouragement and resources to friends struggling to meet their fitness goals.

Have the girls over and work out together.

With the Workout in the Park mobile app, players can create real-life fitness goals and chart their progress for in-game benefits. The mobile app also features fun minigames players can master, as well as the opportunity to check in at sponsored events and locations, both of which provide experience to their avatar!

Many people had observed the growing presence of women in the world of gaming, especially social gaming, but no one seemed willing to do anything about it. Don’t worry guys, we nailed that one.

Many people had observed the need for publishers to adapt to the changing digital landscape, but no one seemed competent to show the way. Don’t worry, nailed that one too.

And many people had worried about the effects of technology on our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, but no one seemed able to create a cross-platform gaming experience that rewards real-world participation and personal fitness growth. Nailed it.

We are proud to see Workout in the Park off into the world, but we are far more excited to see how it’s going to change the world of social media.