ADVERTISING

Virgin Active

Leave the cult, Join the club

Agency: We Are Pi

Description

Virgin Active is calling on people to “Leave the cult, Join the club” and rebel against the toxicity of the wellness industry in a new global campaign.

The edgy and provocative debut work for Virgin Active by Amsterdam-based agency We Are Pi ntroduces a new brand direction that calls out the superficiality and fakeness. It highlights how, in a world of fake wellness and fitness fads, it is difficult for people to cut through the noise of their social media feeds and understand what real advice and real progress looks like for them.

Aiming to be the antidote to this toxicity, the ad sets out to change the corrupted landscape of wellness and give people what they really crave.

The film opens on a number of TV sets showing different visuals from infomercials promoting products claiming to increase people’s wellness by toning their abs in 30 days. Set to a dramatic soundtrack based on “Ode to Joy,” a series of short clips call out toxic wellness trends and quick fixes such as supplements, magic detoxes and fad diets, as well as the “fakefluencers” promoting these unhealthy trends.

Following this chaotic montage, the film then shifts in gear, encouraging people to “leave the cult” in favour of “joining the Virgin Active club” where they can focus on exercising in a healthier way, with real guidance, real community and real progress.

The film ends with a refresh of the Virgin Active logo that draws inspiration from Virgin’s history of championing rebels and challenging the status quo.

The campaign comprises a hero longform film, a 30-second hero film, as well as shorter 15 and 6-second films and stills.

Gabi Mostert, Group Creative Director at Virgin Active, says: “Beyond the film, we’re taking our message to the streets through punchy copy and visuals. Squaring up to toxic wellness in an entertaining way that’s designed to spark conversation and public scrutiny. Our message is simple. We’re f*cking sick of it too. Come to one of our clubs, have a smoothie, move your body, lie in the sauna, whatever. Forget the noise and come as you are. Listen to nobody, but your body.”

Premiering in September, the first burst of the campaign will run across TV, online, video-on-demand, digital out-of-home, and out-of-home in the UK, Italy, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. A second burst of activity will go live in January 2025.

We Are Pi was appointed by Virgin Active to create the global brand positioning, brand identity refresh and campaign earlier this year following a competitive pitch.

This professional campaign titled 'Leave the cult, Join the club' was published in United Kingdom in September, 2024. It was created for the brand: Virgin Active, by ad agency: We Are Pi. This Film, Integrated, and OOH Outdoor media campaign is related to the Fitness industry and contains 5 media assets. It was submitted 28 days ago.

Credits

Client: Virgin Active
Agency: We Are Pi
Production company: Spindle
Director: LIAKH
Photographer: Maximilian Hetherington

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