lululemon redefines wellbeing with 'Wing Chun'-themed dance in CNY campaign

lululemon has unveiled a Lunar New Year campaign featuring Malaysian actress and producer, Michelle Yeoh, to celebrate the arrival of spring, a season signifying rebirth and new beginnings.

As part of the campaign, a short film named “Be Spring” is launched featuring Yeoh and eight theatrical dancers from the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre. While the short film was shot in the mountain settings of Jingning (景寧) and Xiandu (仙都), it presents a poetic enactment of the meeting of mind and body and explores the concept of well-being, aiming to invite viewers to find eternal spring in their everyday lives.

According to the release, born in the East and raised in the West, Yeoh embodies the cultural confluence of East and West. Her years of training in both dance and martial arts have also formed the foundation for her acting career.

Meanwhile, Yeoh's values regarding wellbeing and sports align with the campaign's core messages. On being well, Yeoh recommends taking time to listen and understand oneself – our mind, body and spirit – as keys to achieving balance and finding inner peace in one’s life.

The limited Lunar New Year capsule collection draws inspiration from the unique shapes and curves formed by overlapping dragon scales. Signature lululemon franchises such as the Align, Metal Vent Tech and Wunder Puff have also been reimagined in this season’s colour palette.

Lynn Cheah, vice president of brand marketing and community at lululemon China, said: “At lululemon, we believe that everyone has the right to be well, and we are committed to the advocacy of wellbeing. This new year, we wanted to explore well-being through the lens of Eastern culture – our essence, our energy and our spirit (精氣神).”

“Presented through the juxtaposition of Chinese martial arts – in this case Wing Chun (詠春) – and dance, ‘Be Spring’ is a celebration of spring, and an invitation to find your balance and your own eternal spring. It is an honour and a pleasure to have both Yeoh and dancers from the theatrical dance  ‘Wing Chun’ join us in realising this film. Through their movements, they truly demonstrate both the power of martial arts and the grace of dance,” Cheah added. 

Yeoh said: "I’m delighted to be partnering with lululemon. Sports have always been an important element of my life, and I am committed to encouraging more people, especially younger generations, to benefit from sports and find balance in their own lives."

“Wing Chun holds a special place in my heart. Back in 1994, I starred in the movie ‘Wing Chun’, and thirty years later, I’m honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate with these professional dancers to re-interpret Wing Chun through the short film ‘Be Spring’. This is a concept that resonates with me deeply. Having our own inner spring all year round is our superpower,” Yeoh added. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to lululemon for more information.

Don't miss: lululemon empowers HKers to 'find their wellbeing' with local initiatives

Back in December last year, lululemon introduced a series of local initiatives in Hong Kong  as part of its regional campaign “Find Your Wellbeing” to encourage consumers to embrace personal well-being through simple acts of mindfulness, connection and movement.   

This comes as the brand unveiled its regional campaign to raise awareness for wellbeing and remove stigmas, social pressures and emotional challenges, following the release of lululemon’s third annual Global Wellbeing Report on September 21, which found Gen Z and men struggling with the impact of low wellbeing levels. 

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