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Virgin Active calls out toxic wellness fakefluencers in new ad

Leave the Cult by Virgin Active, UK

Global – Fitness brand Virgin Active has released a new ad campaign, Leave the Cult, Join the Club, calling out toxic wellness trends and unrealistic promises of quick-fix solutions. The ad opens with different tv sets showing snippets of fad diets, supplements, snake oils, magic detoxes, as well as ‘fakefluencers’ who promote them. The film then urges viewers to leave the ‘cult’ and join the Virgin Active Club, where they can exercise in a healthier way.

Created by Amsterdam-based advertising agency We are Pi, the campaign will run across tv, online, video-on-demand, digital out-of-home and out-of-home in the UK, Italy, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. The next phase of the campaign will roll out in early 2025.

‘Our message is simple. We’re f*cking sick of it too,’ said Gabi Mostert, group creative director at Virgin Active. ‘Come to one of our clubs, have a smoothie, move your body, lie in the sauna, whatever. Forge the noise and come as you are. Listen to nobody, but your body,’ she added.

In The Rise of the Expert Influencer, we analysed how consumers are now seeking advice from knowledgeable content creators rather than selfie-obsessed aspirational influencers.

Strategic opportunity

Adopt transparent and authentic messaging in your brand’s marketing, moving away from quick-fix or superficial health trends. Highlight long-term benefits and holistic wellness to build consumer trust

Zaha Hadid Architects re-imagines London in Fortnite

Re:Imagine London by Zaha Hadid Architects and Epic Games, UK

Global – Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) and Epic Games have teamed up to create Re:Imagine London, a virtual cityscape within the popular multi-player game Fortnite. Using Unreal Editor for Fortnite, the project explores how video game platforms can revolutionise architectural design and presentation.

ZHA’s Computation and Design Group collaborated with Epic Games to create a multi-player experience based on AccuCities’ 3D map of London. This digital landscape mirrors the Thames-side stretch of the capital, featuring modular terraces, towers and walkways characteristic of ZHA’s style.

Fortnite’s Unreal Engine, the underlying technology, enables sophisticated modelling within the game’s cartoonish environment, offering an alternative vision of London shaped by parametric design.

As one of the world’s most enduring gaming platforms, Fortnite continues to expand beyond entertainment, showcasing how digital worlds can influence real-world industries like architecture and design.

For more insights on what’s new and next in design and architecture, head to our Future Spaces topic.

Strategic opportunity

Consider using gaming platforms like Unreal Editor for Fortnite to create virtual prototypes of products, buildings or spaces, allowing for real-time testing, adjustments and feedback before committing to physical production

United Airlines signs deal with SpaceX for free in-flight Wi-Fi

US – Chicago-based United Airlines has signed a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use its Starlink service to provide free Wi-Fi during flights. The deal will enable flyers to enjoy uninterrupted internet access during flights, including personal streaming, live gaming, online shopping and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. The testing will begin in early next year and the first passenger flights are expected to offer the service later in 2025.

Powered by advanced satellite technology and years of experience in spacecraft and on-orbit operations, Starlink can deliver internet access around the world, including previously unreachable regions like oceans and polar areas.

United, the largest US airline across the Atlantic and Pacific with over 1,000 planes, will be the first to offer Starlink’s service on this scale. SpaceX has previously signed deals with other airlines to provide in-flight Wi-Fi, including Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways.

In Five Airlines Uplifting In-flight Wellness, we examined how the luxury travel sector is reviving the flight experience from exhausting to enriching, with a focus on both entertainment and wellness.

United Airlines and Starlink, US

Strategic opportunity

Develop partnerships with airlines to create an in-flight shopping experience. With uninterrupted internet access, passengers could engage in real-time shopping, accessing exclusive offers, luxury products or duty-free items

Stat: Workplaces fail to support women’s health

Toi Toi Toi Creative Studio for Contentful. Photography by Koy+Winkel, Germany

Global – New research from the nutrition app Lifesum reveals that more than half of women (51.9%) would leave their current job for one offering better menstrual health support, underlining a critical gap in workplace wellness policies.

The survey of 2,100 women found that 85.9% reported reduced energy and focus due to their menstrual cycle, while 83.9% continued working despite feeling unwell. Mental wellbeing (56.9%), stress levels (52.7%) and productivity (48.7%) were also heavily affected.

A staggering 70.4% of women said that their workplace offers no support for menstrual or hormonal health, sparking a demand for flexible working arrangements (72%), designated menstrual leave (60.3%) and free sanitary products (56.2%).

Businesses must adopt inclusive policies that acknowledge and accommodate women’s health to close the gender health gap and create happier and healthier workplaces, as discussed in our Work States Futures report.

Strategic opportunity

Establish dedicated menstrual health policies such as paid menstrual leave, flexible working arrangements and access to wellness resources, reducing turnover and empowering women in the workplace