2024 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Decathlon, the world's largest sports retailer, faced the challenge of establishing its presence in North America with a limited budget compared to competitors. In the summer of 2023, the goal was to draw people into its Greater Toronto Area (GTA) stores with a cost-effective activation, cutting through the noise and putting the brand
in the spotlight.

Decathlon's mission is to make sport more accessible to everyone. So in their quest to find an initiative that would not only grab people's attention but also express their purpose, they examined all the barriers to sport in Toronto. And while there was no shortage of them, one stood out as an epidemic affecting many: bike theft.

What’s more, the lack of solutions was evident, with people and the police appearing powerless against this issue. Decathlon took a bold step by transforming useless bike theft police reports into a first-of-its-kind discount — a unique approach along the
path to purchase.

The concept was simple: if a bike was stolen, individuals could bring their police report to the store and receive a discount on a new bike. This innovative coupon not only addressed a significant problem in big cities but also ensured Decathlon's message broke through the noise.

Initially leveraging OLV and a print ad in the Toronto Star for a broad impact, a hyper-targeted strategy was crucial to connect with victims of bike theft. This involved crafting bike-shaped ads on public bike racks, advertising on Marketplace (a platform frequented by those seeking stolen bikes or looking for new ones), and securing ad placements directly at bike-sharing stations across Toronto.

The “Stolen Discount” initiative yielded remarkable success, strategically influencing the path to purchase. Locally, bike theft victims embraced the initiative, bringing in police reports to avail discounts, and lauding Decathlon's support. The impact transcended geographical boundaries, gaining global attention with a desire for similar initiatives across the globe.

The results spoke volumes — a 10% increase in brand awareness in the GTA post-campaign, and a 537% surge in social media engagement above average. Beyond immediate goals, the initiative led to a 44.2% increase in bike theft reports in Toronto the following month, indicating a positive behavioural change. Invitations to morning shows in the GTA solidified Decathlon's position as an ally in promoting sports accessibility.

While competitors capitalized on the bike theft epidemic, Decathlon stood out by taking a proactive stance. The success of “Stolen Discount” positioned Decathlon as the most innovative sports retailer, effectively guiding people on the path to purchase and drawing them into its stores.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick, Daniel Lobatón
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Writer : Isabelle Neault, Mnrupe Virk, Nicolas Labbé, Xavier Blais
Art Director : Claudia Barbiero, Jean-Nicolas Duval
Head of Strategy: Pascal Routhier
Strategist: Clément Martin, Tanvi Swar
Director of Integrated Content - Print/Studio: Scott Russell, Agnes Gilchrist,
Rahima Rajabali
Producer: Katia Dupuy
Amplification team: Sara Lemmermeyer, Matt Milne, Mégane Landry
Studio: Patrick Kennedy
Group Account Director: Alex Lefebvre
Account Supervisor: Queenie See, Tim Jubinville
Content Photographer/Cinematographer: Nick Greaves

Clients:
Stéphane Fasquel - Digital Leader - eCommerce, Communication & Marketing
Marie-Lou Blais - Director of communications
Philippe Gariépy - Leader communication - Brand, Media and Research