When Companies Get Branding Right: Lululemon Summer Yoga Series Review

(Instructor Kent Brun leads the class in a flow session, hosted by Lululemon)

Sunshine, sea breeze, and going with the flow, what could be better? On Monday Lululemon hosted it’s first Summer Yoga Series class of 2019. Here’s what was great about the event.

What I love about the Lululemon events is that their primary goal is to bring a community of likeminded people together to have a good time. At no point was the company trying to push a product or sales – in fact, if you’d walked by, there’s a good chance you wouldn’t have even noticed it was a Lululemon event. They’re creating awesome spaces and vibes for people to get together, socialize, be healthy, and enjoy the outdoors. What’s not to love? With most “free” events, you’re surrounded by obnoxious branding and feel like you’re in an unpaid activation ad with forced hashtags and selfies for the company. Clearly it’s part of Lululemon’s culture to create value for its community first, and the business will take care of itself.

I mean, can you tell by the picture above that this yoga class is hosted by Lululemon? Ok my black mat is Lululemon, but I’m pretty sure you can’t see that finite detail (and that’s besides the point). I’m also sure people are wearing some Lululemon gear here, but that’s because it’s great clothing that people choose to buy, not because someone told us we had to wear their brand in order to do a free yoga class.

Speaking of the class, do you ever watch the dynamics of a yoga class? Who sits where, who tries to stand out, who wants to hide in the crowd. I always find it fascinating to observe how everyone sets themselves up. This particular class seemed a bit more hesitant to stand out – it felt like a bunch of regular people, just getting out in the sun.

(I’m more of a “sit near the front but not quite making direct, close-up eye contact with the instructor because then it gets awkard” type of person in class, what about you?)

Was anyone else wondering what they were planning to create in this new space by Science World? Well now we know, a beautiful grassy area overlooking a beach volleyball court, Science World’s globe, and of course the harbour. A great space for outdoor yoga! It’s cool to see companies like Concord Pacific & Lululemon working together to make use of the space in a positive way for the city.

Once we got started with class several people started bumping a volleyball around on the court in front of us. It was fun to watch them while we stretched. Plus the seawall walkway was busy with passersby, so there was plenty of people watching if you needed a distraction from your shaking legs while holding a pose for longer than you’d like.

The class itself was great, Kent Brun led us through a chilled flow class that made us feel all stretchy & relaxed afterwards. Everyone was digging it. You could tell by the smiles on people’s faces that they were feeling good about themselves they’d made the effort to put on some stretchy pants and sweat in the sun rather than just go for a drink after work.

I recruited some friends (and met some new ones!) to come join, so it was a great social event. It was basically like having a picnic at the park, but instead of eating crap we actually did something healthy.

Thanks Lululemon & Concord Pacific for putting on a great event! I’m excited these classes run every week (except Canada Day, for obvious reasons). I’ll definitely be back!

The next time you see one of these events being hosted don’t be afraid to go! Get out there, meet new people, have a good time. I hope to see you there!