Virgin Active Ad Takes a Stand Against Fitness Fads

Consumers are often bombarded by ads and influencers offering wellness solutions. A new global campaign from Virgin Active encourages them to ignore the allure of quick fixes and seek out a healthier fitness plan.

Created by Amsterdam-based agency We Are Pi, the film opens ominously with a tower of TVs showing an infomercial for an electric ab sculptor. Flashing red letters on a black background encourage viewers to leave behind a variety of questionable fitness solutions, including a fad diet involving a giant raw steak and sneak oils represented by an actual reptile. 

The ad depicts the ways each of those trends can go wrong, such as when a gadget electrocutes a man’s torso.

As the triumphant section of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” plays, the film encourages viewers to “leave the cult, join the club” and stick to classic fitness activities like boxing, lifting weights, and sweating in a sauna.

After a competitive pitch, Virgin Active chose We Are Pi earlier this year to create a global campaign to refresh the gym’s brand identity.

The agency’s research found that people lacked knowledge about how to improve their health and wellness and were often confused by online experts and influencers.

“The very thing that was supposed to be making people better was actually making them worse,” We Are Pi co-founder Alex Bennett Grant told ADWEEK. “What people were looking for was real guidance, real progress, and real community, creating the perfect opportunity for Virgin Active to be the antidote to fake wellness.”

The initial effort featuring the hero film, shorter films, and stills that will run across TV, online, VOD, and out-of-home in the U.K., Italy, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore, and Australia. A second chapter will kick off in January 2025.