Leave the Cult, Join the Club

Virgin Active is pushing back against the toxic wellness industry with a new phase of its global campaign, urging fitness fans to “Leave the Cult, Join the Club”, created by We Are Pi.

The latest activity ties in with two key cultural moments this month – World Mental Health Day and the UK’s Royal Parks Half Marathon – and continues Virgin Active’s mission to offer a refreshingly real alternative to the performative wellness culture that’s making people unwell.

To coincide with World Mental Health Day today, Virgin Active is shining a light on the growing problem of ‘wellness burnout’ – the exhaustion caused by social pressure and toxic competition – while championing a healthier, more balanced approach to fitness. This is seen in new advertising by We Are Pi, and at Virgin Active clubs across the world, which are dialling up their offer of activities where people can pause and reset, including sound baths, sauna and spa sessions.

In the UK a second burst of activity follows on Sunday 12 October during the Royal Parks Half Marathon, a 13-mile race run across Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens in London. Around 16,000 athletes take part, with tens of thousands of spectators joining the crowds to cheer them on.

As an official sponsor, Virgin Active will be a big presence at the race with messages which subvert the toxic running cliche “GO HARD OR GO HOME” and by supporting participants with mile markers, designated Cheer Zones and even a branded Recovery Zone. Post-race and in the days after, billboards will poke fun at the mantra “NO REST DAYS”.

The targeted activity is currently running internationally, starting in the UK, across OOH, DOOH and in radio ads, which poke fun at viral wellness hacks, reinforcing that real guidance from expert trainers beats artificial advice from robots.

All the creative feeds into Virgin Active’s central brand message: “Where Wellness Gets Real”, which was rolled out in January this year.