Leave the cult, join the club - Virgin Active challenges fake wellness fads

Virgin Active is having a global ‘gymtervention’ against the cult of fake wellness. Its new campaign calls out the calls out the scams, shams, pseudoscience, fleeting trends and crooked gurus of the ‘wellness’ industry and encourages people to ‘leave the cult, join the club’.

Virgin Active is positioning itself as the antidote to fake wellness fads. Beyond being fitness spaces, the clubs are places where people can be true to themself, make real progress (whatever that looks like to them), relax (via yoga, pools, saunas, and steam rooms), access professional guidance, and make sustainable progress.

This work comes from people becomingly increasingly exposed to contradictory and often baseless fads of the ‘fake wellness’ industry. Andy Tomkins, Global CMO of Virgin Active said:

“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.”

Virgin Active

Th campaign was inspired by Virgin’s history of challenging the status quo, which dates back to Virgin Records’ launch in 1977. Virgin Active also unveiled a new visual identity which nods to our punk heritage through rebellious imagery, graffiti artwork, and black-and white (and red) billboards.

Virgin Active

If you’re sick of the fakes, fads ad false promises that plague wellness culture, join Virgin Active today:

• Virgin Active Australia

• Virgin Active Italy

• Virgin Active Singapore

• Virgin Active South Africa

• Virgin Active Thailand

• Virgin Active UK