“Play It as It Lies.”
It’s the golf-inspired theme behind Vuori’s next play: tapping Tom Holland as its newest global partner, marking the brand’s international growth strategy.
The collaboration, launching with the spring 2026 campaign, positions Holland as a face of the brand as well as a long-term creative and strategic partner.
For Holland, the 29-year-old English actor, the message extends beyond the course.
“I think ‘Play It as It Lies’ is a great way to live your life, because there are going to be things that are out of your control that you can either face head-on or run from,” Holland told WWD.
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Set against a leisurely round of golf with his brothers and close friends, the campaign uses the sport’s unpredictability as a metaphor for resilience and adaptability, captured in a cinematic short film set in Comporta, Portugal, codirected by his brother, Harry Holland, alongside Harrison Boyce.
“Golf is a game of strategy as much as it is skill and sometimes you get unlucky,” Holland went on, “and you end up in a bush or behind a tree or something, and you have to figure out how to make the best of a bad situation.”
He made parallels with his experience navigating the highs and lows of the entertainment industry. Holland first found fame as a child actor in London’s West End production of “Billy Elliot the Musical,” later transitioning to film with a critically acclaimed performance in 2012’s “The Impossible,” before his global rise as Spider-Man and beyond.
“For someone that works in the movie industry, it’s a really healthy way to approach things,” he continued. “I’ve had movies or TV shows that I thought were going to be absolute slam dunks, 10 out of 10 successes, and were the complete opposite. And you just have to figure out how to pivot and to dust yourself off and pick yourself up and get back out there and try again.”
It’s a lesson he learned from his father early on, he said, reflecting on how he handles setbacks in life: “He’s a stand-up comedian, and I think that’s one of the hardest art forms, because even the best can have bad shows.”
The partnership with Vuori, he added, is an extension of his own lifestyle, growing up dancing and trained in gymnastics.
“Vuori was something that I found really organically,” he said. “I’ve been a customer of theirs for a number of years before this opportunity was presented to me. I really share their sensibilities and their way of living a life of calm ambition…And I really like the guys that run the company. They seem like really lovely people, which always helps. And I’m a very active person. I love fitness, I love exercise, I love sport.”
Founded in 2015 by Joe Kudla in Encinitas, Calif., Vuori has grown from a small, beachside start-up into a globally expanding performance-lifestyle brand blending technical performance with everyday wear, backed by major investment and now distributed in nearly 30 countries.
“Our partnership with Tom Holland is a meaningful step in how we introduce Vuori to new audiences globally,” Kudla said. “Tom has a strong international following, but more importantly, he connects across cultures in a very authentic way. This isn’t about using celebrity to drive short-term awareness. It’s about aligning with someone who naturally embodies the values of our brand.”
Kudla said Vuori is measuring the partnership’s success through a long-term lens, prioritizing emotional connection.
“Of course, we track traditional metrics like brand awareness and engagement, but the bigger focus is on brand affinity and cultural relevance over time,” he said. “The success of that isn’t measured in a single campaign moment, but in how it compounds over time.”
Looking ahead, the brand sees white space in further blurring the lines between performance and lifestyle.
“We’re seeing strong, consistent growth across the business, driven by both product and distribution expansion,” Kudla said. The partnership with Holland “will help introduce Vuori to new customers globally and should fuel demand…ultimately supporting sustainable long-term growth.”
Outside of acting, in the wellness space, Holland has also been running Bero, the non-alcoholic beer brand he launched in 2024.
“I’m really, really loving the experience of building this company, growing the company, spreading the word, trying to promote a life of moderation to young people,” he said of Bero.
The brand also plays a personal role in his commitment to sobriety: “It’s a great help for me in staying sober. It would be incredibly hypocritical of me to be selling non-alcoholic beer, but continue to drink.”
With Vuori, he said, the partnership showcases a mindset beyond performance.
“Vuori represents a way of moving through life that really resonates with me,” he said.
