• by Fern Siegel , September 19, 2024

Fake supplements. Fad diets. Too many people are lured into so-called “wellness” pitches that are little more than snake oil.

Conversely, Virgin Active is rejecting the toxicity of false claims, encouraging people to “Leave the cult, Join the club.” Virgin Active is a chain of health clubs in the U.K., Italy, Australia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Singapore and Thailand.

The edgy creative is courtesy of Amsterdam-based agency We Are Pi.

The campaign shows genuine efforts at wellness, not quick-hit remedies, such as well-toned abs in 30 days. Set to “Ode to Joy,” the short clips condemn magic detoxes and “fakefluencers” who push unhealthy trends. The focus is getting people to embrace a healthier approach and join the Virgin Active club.

Launching this month, the campaign runs across TV, online, video-on-demand, digital OOH and out-of-home in the U.K., Italy, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. A second ad wave goes live in January. 

Virgin Group owns 17% of Virgin Active; Christo Wiese owns the majority share of the 252 clubs worldwide.

Gabi Mostert, group creative director at Virgin Active, says: “We’re 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.”

We Are Pi client client work includes Nike, Unilever, Heineken, Uber and Diageo.