Gymshark names David Laid as creative director, lifting

Gymshark, the fitness community and apparel brand, has announced the appointment of David Laid, one of the famous bodybuilders, fitness models and influencers as its first creative director, lifting.

Commenting on his new role, Laid said: “When the guys at Gymshark said to me ‘do you want to come and be responsible for resurrecting our heritage for lifting, strength and conditioning’, it took me about under a second to decide. Gymshark is the lifting brand, one that has been a massive part of my life, so I couldn’t think of a better group of people to work with as creative director, lifting.”

While Gymshark has ventured into various different areas of fitness and athleticism, Laid, the company said in a statement, is coming on board to revive its heritage for where it all began – the weights room. In his new role, Laid will be responsible for product development, creative direction, athlete recruitment and IRL events.

The company added that his transformation video from “a 90 pound frail, lanky, near emaciated teen”, to world-famous weightlifter and fitness influencer went viral amassing 49 million views on YouTube. With over five million followers on social media, he is one of the most trusted and inspirational athletes in the world today.

“When we started Gymshark, I was just a kid who was obsessed with the gym. Now ten years later, the obsession remains as strong as ever. That’s why I can’t think of anyone better than David to join us as our first ever creative director, lifting. His journey from being a 13 year old lad to the global fitness influencer he is today couldn’t be more in sync with us,” added Ben Francis, founder and CEO, Gymshark.