As it seeks to continue its global growth, Lululemon is out with a new campaign that debuts the fitness brand on broadcast TV. The new push, “Feel,” is the Canadian retailer’s first work from Droga5 since naming the shop creative agency-of-record last November.

One two-minute brand spot shows a man whose daily activities of work and fitness appear to grow more and more monotonous, as if he is on autopilot, until a likely depression sets in. A hummingbird eventually helps return the man to health and he eventually enjoys running outside with others. The film, called “Being well is a journey,” includes voiceover excerpts from Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Selfish Giant.”

By focusing on feelings, rather than performance, Lululemon is trying to distinguish itself from the overcrowded activewear market. Rival brands’ campaigns often showcase intense training and challenging workouts. In contrast, the Lululemon push is more of a purposefully thoughtful look at wellness in general.

The retailer is riding a wave of popularity that accelerated during the pandemic as consumers under lockdown bought more activewear online. For its most recent quarter, Lululemon reported a 88% rise in net revenue to $1.2 billion. Its direct-to-consumer business increased 55% to $545.1 million.

Yet its rivals are also on the upswing. For example, Under Armour recently exceeded analyst expectations by reporting revenue of $1.4 billion, a 91% rise over the year-earlier period. Under Armour formerly worked with Droga5 but has lately been relying on its in-house studio. Gap Inc.'s Athleta brand, which solely targets female customers, recently hit $1 billion in sales and grew 16% in 2020.

Last year, Nikki Neuburger, chief brand officer, told Ad Age that Lululemon planned to double its menswear business and quadruple its international sales. The new campaign aims to continue both goals. Along with the campaign film, shorter spots will run that highlight products such as a men’s pants and men’s shorts. The ads will air in select markets during NFL regular season games.

It’s not the first time Lululemon, a brand known for its women’s yogawear, has tried to woo male consumers. Four years ago, the company released an ad campaign designed to attract men. Yet the brand still sees potential in bolstering its male-targeted products.

“We see a huge opportunity around driving awareness and consideration, both for men’s as well as women and in every market we are in and we are going to lean in and do more of that,” said Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald on a recent earnings call.

The new work, which will include some activations, will run on TV in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, where out-of-home ads will also be on display. Overseas, the campaign will include out-of-home, digital and in-store marketing in select markets. In addition, Lululemon is tapping fitness ambassadors such as Akin Akman, Manoj Dias, Hailey Langland, Deja Riley and Joe Wicks to promote the brand with their followers.