Singapore – Health club Virgin Active calls out purveyors of misleading wellness claims in new ‘Leave the Cult, Join the Club’ global campaign made in collaboration with advertising agency We Are Pi.
Charged with striking visuals and strongly worded statements, Virgin Active’s new campaign points out the prevalence of fake fitness fads that are gaining popularity online. This includes solutions for 30-day abs, excessive supplements, magic detoxes, and snake oils.
Instead of succumbing to misleading beliefs, the campaign encourages people to be healthy through a community of real people with realistic health goals and practices.
“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,” Gabi Mostert, group creative director at Virgin Active, said.
Andy Tomkins, group chief marketing officer at Virgin Active, commented, “We know that people are increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of conflicting opinions and can be seduced by the promise of a quick fix that can do more harm than good. Our new global positioning ‘Where Wellness Gets Real’ establishes Virgin Active as the antidote to the fakery that’s plaguing the wellness industry and reflects the culture we’ve created where people can bring their real selves, make real progress in a healthy way that’s unique to them. ‘Leave the Cult, Join the Club’ parodies the toxic underbelly of the wellness industry and most importantly shows people there’s a better way!”
“‘Leave The Cult Join The Club’ is the point of view the wellness industry needs, from an iconic brand that, at its best, is the cheeky cultural provocateur we all want in our lives,” Alex Bennett Grant, chief executive officer at We Are Pi, said.
The campaign will include films in long and short forms. It premiers in September across the United Kingdom, Italy, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore, and Australia.
