2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

With more than 1,700 stores across 60 countries, Decathlon is the world's largest sports retailer. Since its inception in 1976, the brand has been dedicated to making sports and their benefits accessible to all. Decathlon's success stems from its affordable prices, innovative products, dedicated employees, and experiential stores. However, despite its global recognition, the brand was relatively unknown in Canada until 2018 when it entered the market. In 2021, as Decathlon prepared to open its tenth store in Canada, the company aimed to increase brand awareness while promoting its mission of making sports accessible to all. However, the Canadian market was already saturated with established players with much larger marketing budgets. To overcome this challenge, Decathlon had to come up with a cost-effective initiative that aligned with its values and could generate buzz among the public and media.

The International Symbol of Access is a well-known sign that highlights the limitations of people with disabilities. To change the way people view those with disabilities, Decathlon created Ability Signs. This initiative reimagined the universal accessibility symbol by depicting individuals engaging in various sports, such as basketball, rugby, and tennis. The goal was to shift the focus from what people with disabilities can't do to what they can do. Decathlon designed 25 custom Ability Signs icons that were incorporated into the company's existing retail signage system. The signs were launched in October 2021, and a website (abilitysigns.ca) was created to allow people to download the icons for free under a Creative Commons license.

Since its launch, the Ability Signs initiative has been met with a positive response from disability advocates, international Decathlon stakeholders, and the media. The movement has gained momentum beyond Canada, with professional sports teams, recreational centers, gyms, and even competitors agreeing to install their own Ability Signs. In Seine-Saint-Denis, several cities added 16 accessible parking spots with Ability Signs visuals ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic games. Decathlon's headquarters in France also incorporate Ability Signs in parking lots and office buildings. The initiative cost Decathlon 15K, but it generated 227 million organic impressions, a 439% increase in brand mentions, and reached 73 countries. In Canada, the initiative supported the country's growth objectives, with double-digit growth in traffic (both online and offline) and single-digit growth in TOM awareness during the period. Ability Signs is Decathlon's most shared social campaign to date.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Mike Dubrick, Nicolas Quintal
Creative Director: Maxime Saute, Xavier Blais
Art Director: Rachel Leblanc, Ryan Cookish, Maxime Sauté
Writer: Xavier Blais
Interactive Producer: Terri Winter, Todd Harrison
Developer: Steve Lam
Designer: Claudia Barberio
Lead Strategist: Pascal Routhier
Studio Artist: Cadu Rocha
Agency Producer: Sarah Longpré, Johanne Pelland, Katia Dupuy, Samuel Bonneau, AJ Merrick, Steph Walker Wells
Account Services: Alex Lefebvre, Rose Napoléon, Aïcha Diallo
PR: Rethink, Meredith Montgomery, Sara Lemmermeyer
Production house: ContentContent
Director: Simon Ronny Lebrun
Producer: Raphaëlle Rousseau
Editor: Leigh O’Neill
Client: Décathlon Canada - Jaylone Lee, Marie-Lou Blais, Maeva Reffo, Manuela Comte, Philippe Gariepy