About Karen Lord Pilates – PR Launch Event

Karen Lord Pilates Movement is a luxury boutique Pilates brand rooted in Los Angeles, offering a singular approach to movement, wellness, and community. With existing studios in Venice, Santa Monica, and Redondo Beach, the brand has built a devoted following around Karen Lord’s signature method, a philosophy that treats the physical environment as integral to the movement experience. In 2025, Karen Lord Pilates Movement opened its fourth and most ambitious location: a flagship studio on Melrose Avenue at La Brea, one of Los Angeles’ most iconic intersections. The Melrose flagship represents a defining moment for the brand, a destination-level space that blends movement, hospitality, design, and community within a thoughtfully restored architectural landmark.



10

Secured Editorial & Broadcast Coverage

+12

Media Attendees at Opening

100

Influencer & Creator Attendees

Their Challenge

As one of the most design-forward and founder-driven concepts in the booming boutique Pilates space, Karen Lord Pilates Movement needed more than a standard studio opening. The Melrose flagship demanded a launch strategy worthy of its ambition, one that could generate national media attention, attract the right mix of wellness tastemakers and press, and establish the brand’s positioning within the luxury wellness conversation. The goal was clear: introduce the Melrose studio to the world not as a fitness opening, but as a cultural moment in Los Angeles wellness.



Our Challenge

Dunn Pellier Media was brought on to lead a comprehensive earned-media and event PR campaign for the Melrose flagship opening. DPM’s role spanned pre-launch strategy, media and influencer outreach, brand partnership coordination, event production support, and the creation of ongoing coverage opportunities extending well beyond opening night.

A core challenge was positioning the studio across multiple distinct media verticals simultaneously, local Los Angeles press, national fitness and wellness trade outlets, architecture and design publications, and luxury lifestyle media — each requiring a tailored story angle and targeted relationship strategy. DPM also needed to ensure that the opening event itself functioned as a content engine, generating social activity, media relationships, and coverage pipelines that would continue to deliver results in the weeks and months following launch.

Goals

ESTABLISHING KAREN LORD PILATES MOVEMENT AS A LUXURY WELLNESS DESTINATION

DPM set out to:

  • Generate awareness for the Melrose flagship opening across local, national, and trade media
  • Secure attendance from top-tier media, influencers, and wellness industry tastemakers at the launch event
  • Coordinate brand partnerships and gifting to elevate the guest experience and create additional brand touchpoints
  • Support event logistics to ensure seamless execution and maximize content and coverage opportunities
  • Create a pipeline of ongoing media, broadcast, and podcast opportunities extending beyond the opening night
PR Strategy

MULTI-VERTICAL PR CAMPAIGN TO LAUNCH, CELEBRATE, AND SUSTAIN THE MELROSE FLAGSHIP

DPM crafted a targeted campaign designed to position the Karen Lord Pilates Movement Melrose opening as a marquee wellness event in Los Angeles, and a national story within the luxury fitness and design media conversation.

The team developed multiple story angles to open doors across different media verticals: flagship studio launch coverage for fitness trade and local press; founder profile opportunities showcasing Karen Lord’s journey and vision; architecture and design storytelling around the studio’s extraordinary restoration — including the reopening of a sealed exterior wall, custom mahogany doors, imported international lighting, hand-crafted classical Pilates equipment, a one-ton quartz crystal in the lounge, and engineered glass private training rooms. Luxury lifestyle and wellness trend angles were developed for national consumer outlets, positioning the Melrose studio as a destination experience rather than a traditional fitness opening.





DPM simultaneously managed influencer outreach and attendance coordination, gift bag sourcing and brand partnership negotiations, media RSVP management, event messaging, and post-event coverage follow-up, ensuring every element of the launch contributed to a sustained media presence for the brand.

Results

Our Results

The Karen Lord Pilates Movement Melrose flagship opening delivered a strong earned media footprint, a high-impact event attended by leading press and creators, and a robust pipeline of coverage and broadcast opportunities continuing beyond launch.

Event Performance:

  • Attendance from media, influencers, and wellness tastemakers representing W Magazine, Women’s Health, E! Online, PEOPLE, ABC, Forbes, Modern Luxury, KTLA, Camille Styles, Los Angeles Magazine, Bloomberg, and Glamour
  • 100 influencers and content creators in attendance across TikTok and Instagram
  • Multiple gift bag and event brand partnerships confirmed
  • Strong social media activity across TikTok and Instagram, extending visibility well beyond event attendees
  • Ongoing media relationships established for future coverage, reviews, and studio experience

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS & EVENT EXPERIENCE

DPM secured and coordinated multiple gifting partnerships to support the guest experience and create additional brand touchpoints throughout the event.

Confirmed gift bag and event partners included Poppi, mixsoon, Lifewave, and Activations App.

Additional outreach was conducted to a broad range of wellness, beauty, lifestyle, and food brands to support gifting and explore future partnership opportunities.

The event experience featured a custom step-and-repeat, floral installations with greenery and white orchids, branded gifting, cocktails and mocktails, Getty photography coverage, and complimentary class offerings for attendees.

This PR campaign didn’t just launch a studio — it introduced Karen Lord Pilates Movement to the national wellness conversation at a level commensurate with the brand’s ambition. By building a multi-vertical media strategy around founder storytelling, architectural design, luxury wellness positioning, and a high-impact opening event, DPM established the Melrose flagship as one of Los Angeles’ most compelling wellness destinations and created a sustained coverage pipeline set to deliver results well beyond opening night.

TOTAL IMPRESSIONS

  • Broadcast Segments Secured: 2 confirmed (KTLA Unscripted, WABC 7 LA “Wellness Wednesday”)
  • Podcast Placements: Whoop Podcast (with Las Vegas activations, June & July)
  • Confirmed Editorial Coverage: Gym Owner Monthly, Los Angeles Magazine (July), Athletech News (in progress)
  • Media Attendees at Opening: 12+ national and regional outlets represented
  • Influencer & Creator Attendees: 100
  • Social Media Activity: Strong TikTok and Instagram activity across attending creators



Media Coverage