Lululemon Athletica Inc. is making a major marketing shift, betting on a high-profile roster of athletes to help pull the yogawear brand out of a sales slump and expand beyond its roots in downward-facing dog.
Lululemon expands beyond yoga with big-name athlete deals
While the brand has done little traditional sports advertising on its path to surpassing €10 billion in sales, it is now appearing on major athletic stages. American tennis star Frances Tiafoe is wearing Lululemon apparel at the US Open, and golfer Max Homa sports the brand’s gear on the PGA Tour. In a sign of broader ambitions, Lululemon has also signed seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton as a brand ambassador.
“We’ve had a very big year of bringing on additional athletes, and we are now in real development,” said Nikki Neuburger, Lululemon’s chief marketing officer, in an interview.
Lululemon is seeking answers after its stock dropped by about 50% this year, erasing the gains made during the pandemic, when shoppers flocked to the brand for activewear. Executives have warned of reduced consumer spending in the US. Meanwhile, CEO Calvin McDonald continues to pursue an ambitious goal: achieving €12.5 billion in revenue by the end of 2026. Analysts currently forecast the company will fall short by about €500 million.
Investors will learn more about McDonald’s revival plan on September 4 when the company reports earnings. Last quarter, the brand issued a disappointing forecast for sales and profits, causing its shares to plummet.
For more than a decade, Lululemon appeared unstoppable, with its black yoga pants becoming a wardrobe staple for women of all ages. The brand experienced continued growth by entering the men’s sportswear market and attracting teen consumers. But that explosive growth — which boosted revenue by 140% over four years — has slowed. Now, younger competitors like Alo Yoga and Vuori are taking market share.
“Lululemon is a strong brand, but it’s overstretched,” said Simeon Siegel, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets. “It’s ubiquitous.”
Lululemon originally built its brand using what was then an unconventional network of yoga instructors and local influencers. It avoided big-name athlete endorsements and focused on wellness rather than competition.
That strategy is evolving. The yoga network is still part of the brand’s identity, but as Lululemon expanded into categories like golf and tennis — offering racket bags, polos, and tailored trousers — it needed more recognizable figures. Enter tennis stars Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, along with golfers Min Woo Lee and Max Homa.
Unlike Nike Inc. and Adidas AG, which invest heavily in hundreds of athlete deals across sports, Lululemon is taking a more curated approach.
“We’re not paying as much as our rivals,” said Neuburger. “If you talk to most of the folks on the roster, they could be one of many somewhere else or they can actually be in it with Lululemon.”
Of course, working with athletes carries risks. Tiafoe exited the US Open earlier than expected, and Homa has recorded only one top-five PGA Tour finish this year.
Lululemon’s rivals are far ahead in the sneaker game, a critical space if the brand wants to compete at scale. The company has released several sneaker styles but has not disclosed footwear sales figures. McDonald noted in June that the company remains in a “test and learn” phase in the shoe category.
It’s unclear whether Lululemon will eventually pursue marquee sneaker deals, similar to Nike’s partnership with Kevin Durant or Adidas’s partnership with Anthony Edwards. The brand has dipped into basketball, launching a co-branded apparel line with Jordan Clarkson, who recently joined the New York Knicks.
Lululemon is also expanding into other competitive categories. It is the official outfitter of the Canadian Olympic team and has developed a fan apparel collection for the National Hockey League. More recently, the brand has signed athletes in soccer and running.
Still, Neuburger says the brand’s philosophy remains distinct from that of its larger rivals.
“They’re very focused on winning, literally,” she said, referencing Nike’s recent ad campaign declaring that winning isn’t for everyone. “Ours is more about the journey as opposed to the destination.”
