Gymshark Leans Into ‘snl’ Controversy In A Big Way

The activewear brand’s new campaign with Megan Thee Stallion takes a direct shot at Shane Gillis’ controversial SNL bit about what women wear to the gym

After Shane Gillis’ controversial “Saturday Night Live” joke about what women wear in the gym, the fitness and wellness industry is abuzz with discussions about activewear and gender dynamics. Amid it all, one of the biggest players in the activewear space, Gymshark, has just launched a campaign with Megan Thee Stallion that directly tackles those ideas.

“It’s been quite a week for women’s gym shorts, hasn’t it?” Gymshark chief brand officer Noel Mack said. “We’ve just launched Megan Does Gym, celebrating Megan Thee Stallion and a group of women who are unapologetically themselves, putting in the work and not asking anyone’s permission to take up space. All in gym shorts, of course.”

The artist is joining Gymshark’s athlete program and becoming its first-ever celebrity ambassador, while also being at the heart of a new global brand campaign.

The campaign is built around Megan’s fitness routine, which includes a mix of Pilates, HIIT and strength training, folding in her “Hot Girl Coach” persona as well. It highlights Megan training alongside women from Gymshark’s network, featuring them lifting weights and embodying strength.

“There’s a whole debate happening about what women should and shouldn’t wear to the gym,” Mack added. “But the best bit hasn’t been anything we’ve said. It’s been our community. Within hours of the launch, the comments were flying in. Women proudly saying they’ll keep wearing their shorts, joking about buying even more and reminding everyone that they’re in the gym to smash PBs, not seek anyone’s approval.”

The partnership aligns with a growing trend towards women embracing strength training and a more fitness-oriented lifestyle, likely one of the several factors in why Gillis’ comments sparked so much backlash from fitness professionals.

Numerous trainers and coaches slammed Gillis online, criticizing his remarks about women’s shorts as misconstruing why they go to the gym — to get stronger and take care of themselves, not to be ogled by men.

“Championing strong women has been part of Gymshark’s DNA since day one — not just physical strength, but the confidence to be completely yourself. … Megan embodies that better than almost anyone we could imagine: she is unapologetic, she trains to get stronger, to clear her mind and to keep growing. That’s exactly the story we’ve built this brand around,” said Gymshark chief commercial officer Carly Natalizia. 

The campaign will appear across Gymshark’s paid and owned channels, retail locations and out-of-home, with an online and in-person shopping experience for consumers to shop the featured looks alongside Megan’s Gymshark favorites.

“As for Shane, if he’s curious about the shorts, we’ve made them particularly easy to find. Just search Shane on our website,” Mack joked.

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