lululemon: This Is Yoga by Virtue Worldwide at Vice

Activewear brand Lululemon has revealed on its first ever global ad campaign entitled This Is Yoga, which highlights the principles and diversity of the practice without showing a single downward facing dog.

Created in partnership with Vice’s global creative agency Virtue Worldwide, the ad runs through the core principles of yoga such as ‘Practice of nonviolence’, ‘Practice of meditation’ and ‘Practice of breath’. These are illustrated with activities that do not require a mat; for example, the ‘Practice of letting go’ is accompanied by a clip of a dancer in a nightclub.

The campaign features seven real stories from across the world – those of Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, Capoeira instructor Jian Pablico, artist CJ Hendry, Mexico City ballroom dancers House of Apocalipstick, DJ and producer P Money, Beijing punk band drummer Atom and professional surfer Maddie Peterson. It aims to elevate the power of practice and re-examine how the world observes the culture of yoga.

This Is Yoga will be rolled out in-store and through digital, while out-of-home is planned for LA, NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, London and Shanghai. Lululemon has also created a series of mini-documentaries to support the 30-second spot, which will be introduced on the brand’s social channels.

Spencer Baim, founder of Virtue, said: “When I first met the team from Lululemon, I barely knew what yoga was, but we gelled immediately and collaborated exhaustively. It is rare that a set of internal values, brand values and the shift in human values align so elegantly.

“It's been so special to work with a brand and a group of people that want to put such a positive message out into the world. This message and mindset, I've learned, is yoga.”