Decathlon relaunches to global sports brand

Following a collaboration over two years, Decathlon says the rebrand spans across strategy, design, internal culture and brand experience and encompasses every Decathlon touchpoint: revitalising the visual identity, the product portfolio and the omnichannel experience. 

According to Decathlon, since its creation in 1976, the brand has catered to pros and beginners alike — the company designs for all sports, all people and all levels. But despite the scale of the business, its brand voice wasn't carrying it well enough into the hearts of customers or future audiences. 

With the appointment of Barbara Martin Coppola as global chief executive officer of Decathlon in 2022, Wolff Olins was briefed as a trusted brand transformation partner to support the new business strategy of shifting Decathlon from a French retailer to a future-fit global sports brand, says the brand. 

With the sports category changing rapidly in line with consumer trends, the question at the centre of the strategic approach was: What role does sport play in our lives? Insights showed that people's love for sport is not tied to winning but to the enjoyment and wellness it brings, says Decathlon. 

This led to the development of a new purpose for the organisation 'to move people through the wonders of sport', with the entire brand strategy anchored around the idea of wonder. Decathlon adds that wonder has the promise of amplifying all the emotions of sport: enjoyment, connection, adventure. Celebrating movement, participation and progress. An invitation for people to play their way, on their terms.

The new Decathlon brand platform is rooted in its new positioning 'make sport yours', enabling everyone to embrace sport on their own terms and live happier, healthier lives. It breaks away from the category's traditional focus on perfection and injecting a sense of play and enjoyment back into sport, according to the brand. 

Decathlon says L'Orbit is an expression of the brand's purpose, conveying movement and circularity, with a strong angle inspired by the iconic wordmark and a peak representing its connection to outdoor sporting activities. It will now feature prominently on all products, from play to pro, signalling a new narrative for sport. 

 

The wider identity system is designed to work effortlessly across all channels. A new voice, art direction, motion and iconography is brought together with a bespoke typeface: Decathlon Sans. Inspired by the iconic Avant Garde wordmark of the 1970s, Decathlon Sans is both expressive and technical in its details and design, making it impactful wherever it is met, adds the brand.

 

A motion system brings the Orbit to life, working across animated type, imagery, layouts and cinematography with a signature orbital movement. According to Decathlon, the approach to art direction aims to redefine sport, with a focus on emotion and authenticity as well as showcasing a spectrum of narratives that embrace the diversity of ages, abilities and sports that makes Decathlon unique.

To launch the new Decathlon brand around the world, Wolff Olins' sister creative agency AMV BBDO has developed a campaign centred on the concept of play. At the heart of the creative work lies a profound human insight: Regardless of age, skill or sport, the joy of play lives in every single one of us.

Decathlon invites everyone, everywhere to rediscover the joy of play. In a world where stress and perfectionism hold so many people back from enjoying sport, Decathlon simply asks, "Ready to play?". This bold question serves as an invitation and rallying cry to experience the sheer delight of movement and spontaneity, fostering a deeper connection between individuals and the world of sports, says the brand.

 

A full 360-campaign, it will first air during Decathlon's official launch event in Paris and across its global markets on Friday, 12 April and broadcast across 70 markets throughout the month, the brand adds.

Barbara Martin Coppola, global chief executive officer at Decathlon, says, "Today marks a very special moment in both the history and future of Decathlon. Now more than ever, business needs to be a force for good, and we hope that by moving people through the wonders of sport, we can do that while building a new narrative for the category."

"From day one, the Wolff Olins team has been a close partner in driving this transformative vision forward with us, navigating the brief with considered detail and aplomb. We are overjoyed to reintroduce Decathlon to our customers, our teammates, our partners and our communities today, and really celebrate the start of a new era for our global business," adds Coppola. 

Celine Del Genes, global chief customer officer at Decathlon, says, "We understand that the role of sports to people worldwide is evolving, and our new brand directly reflects this changing dynamic. It unites all of Decathlon's customer initiatives and elevates how we go to market in a fresh and playful way."

Wolff Olins' customer-centric approach to the development and design of the brand will help connect people of all levels with Decathlon and enable them to make sport theirs, on their terms. AMV BBDO has done a fantastic job heroing this through the concept of play in the launch creative. Huge congratulations to all involved, it's been a real 'dream team' collaboration," Genes adds. 

"From the start of our journey together it was clear that Decathlon is special — it deserved a brand that matched its heritage and its ambitions," says Emma Barratt, global executive creative director at Wolff Olins.

"Decathlon has always been for everybody, a sportsmaker, misunderstood as a retailer. A democratising influence in sport, fast becoming a leader in circularity. But above all, it aims to simply bring fun, joy and wonder to people of all levels and abilities," Barratt adds.

"We have honoured this with the new brand and identity, which is an open invitation for all to move in their own way. It has been inspiring to work so closely with the impressive Decathlon leadership and we couldn't be more excited to see how they will continue to innovate and bring the wonder of sport to the masses," says Barratt.

Laura Rogers, executive creative director at AMV BBDO, says, "Play is at the heart of the Decathlon brand, from their stores to their people and now, in their communications. We're delighted to share Decathlon's unique, democratic and people-centred approach to sport with the world."

"We hope that this work, which is our first in partnership with the brand, inspires people everywhere to find that joyous spirit within themselves and get out there and play," concludes Rogers. 

For more information, visit www.decathlon.com, www.wolffolins.com and www.amvbbdo.com.

*Image courtesy of contributor