Lululemon has learnt a very valuable lesson: if you poke the Beyhive, be prepared to be stung.
Beyonce wearing Ivy Park. Photo: WeAreIvyPark/YouTube
The Canadian women's activewear brand has become the eye of a social media storm after it angered Beyonce fans on Twitter by suggesting the singer's new activewear line was an imitation of its own.
In a series of (now deleted) tweets, Lululemon engaged with a few Beyonce fans, who suggested Beyonce's Ivy Park Activewear line, which was announced yesterday, would be competition for the established fitness brand.
The brand's first response was to Twitter user @amandaacastlee who had tweeted, "Lululemon about to go bankrupt cause Beyonce [sic] released an active wear line #gamechanger."
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In a relatively tame reply, Lululemon said, "We don't plan to bow down to the Queen B when it comes to workout gear, but you know we're going to keep buying her albums."
However, it was the brand's next engagement ��� in response to Twitter user @GoodGuySly asking if "Ivy Park [is] supposed to be like Lululemon?" ��� which did the damage.
"They do say imitation is the best form of flattery. Maybe Beyonce is so Crazy In Love with our brand, she made her own," the brand replied to the question.
Needless to say, Beyonce's dedicated fans (known as the "Beyhive") were not super pleased about Lululemon suggesting Ivy Park was a copycat brand, and expressed their discontent on social media.
"Ugh lulu ... Don't talk about bey like that," one fan tweeted at the brand.
"[Lululemon] needs to stop tweeting about Beyonce, " another added. "The Hive is on another level today."
Incredibly, the activewear giant, who this week announced predicted revenue of more than $US2 billion this financial year, is so committed to being perceived as pro-Beyonce, they not only deleted the two offending tweets, but also appear to be replying with messages of apology to every Beyonce fan who is upset that the company manufacturing their crop tops and leggings would so speak so lowly of the woman who sings their workout playlist.
@ashleyjb3_We hear you. We didn't mean any harm as we're big fans of hers.
��� lululemon athletica (@lululemon) March 31, 2016@darlingnessa_Never the intent. Thanks for the call out.
��� lululemon athletica (@lululemon) March 31, 2016@xoBeyHivexo @GoodGuySlyNo harm meant- we've got nothing but love.
��� lululemon athletica (@lululemon) March 31, 2016@CorporateBarbieWe hear you and can fully say we didn't mean any harm. We're major fans of hers.
��� lululemon athletica (@lululemon) March 31, 2016Beyonce launched Ivy Park activewear with a two-minute promotional video on Thursday.
The line features crop tops, leotards, leggings and tracksuits, and will be sold online at Net-a-Porter, as well as through Topshop.
The video shows Beyonce, 34, in a children's playground.
"I would wake up in the morning and my dad would come knocking on my door, tell me it's time to go running," she says. "I remember wanting to stop, but I would push myself to keep going. He taught me discipline and I would think about my dreams."
Her four-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, after whom the line is presumably named, appears towards the end of the video, being given a piggyback by her mother.