A. Background:
B. Decathlon launch first ATL campaign “Let’s Play UK” with new agencies Goodstuff & Forever Beta in April 2021
By Newsroom, April 2021 (https://marcommnews.com/decathlon-launch-first-atl-campaign-lets-play-uk-with-new-agencies-goodstuff-forever-beta/)
As lockdown eases and stores begin re-opening, sporting retailer Decathlon is launching its first-ever integrated campaign, backed by a brand-new marketing strategy. The “Let’s Play UK” campaign was designed to speak to families; democratising sport, going beyond performance and showing the fun side by, quite literally, bringing sporting goods to life.
The campaign was created by Decathlon’s newly appointed agencies Forever Beta and Goodstuff. Following an informal pitch in January, Goodstuff earned the media planning and buying business, while Forever Beta became creative and strategic lead following a five-way pitch in February.
The creative features various pieces of animated sports equipment, such as a bike and a tent breaking into song as the shop turns its light off, highlighting their desire to be used and emphasizing how much more sport can now be played as lockdown eases. The campaign features a re-imagining of Cyndi Lauper’s iconic track “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, “Sports Just Want To Have Fun”, delivering a fun message the whole family can enjoy whilst building brand awareness. The work reflects the unique range of products that are available, which stands at over 45,000 items of sports clothing and equipment and more than 70 sports to discover in store.
Goodstuff handled the planning and buying of Decathlon’s first ever ATL campaign with the aim of making sport accessible to families as lockdown eases and stores begin re-opening. They are testing a regional approach with their planning and the campaign launches on 24th April with an ITV deal across select regions and will run throughout summer 2021. The spot will launch during Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow. The campaign will be further supported by BVOD, OOH & YouTube.
PR Agency One, Decathlon’s retained PR agency of 3 years, led on the corporate brand story supporting the national Let’s Play UK ad campaign. Communicating Europe’s number one sports retailer’s campaign to help reactivate the 83% of Brits who have had activity levels disrupted by Covid. Integrated PR specialists, PR Agency One, further amplified the Let’s Play UK campaign by including integral campaign characters and tag lines into the core summer-long planned PR activity aimed at Decathlon’s target audience of families, campers, sports enthusiasts and UK adults of all ages seeking to become more physically active and healthy.
Understanding:
1. What did Decathlon UK do as lockdown eased?
2. What agency was appointed for media planning and buying? What agency was appointed for creation?
3. What objectives (2) does the advertising message aim to achieve?
4. Who are they targeting? Where?
5. What media do they use?
Analysing:
6. What is your impression about this ad?
7. Do you believe they spent a lot on this advertising campaign?
8. Who is managing this promotion campaign, as well as making decisions about investing, developing or refurbishing new stores?
9. Does it have anything to do with innovation?
A. Understanding:
a/ The people:
Please fill in the following grid:
| Max & Camille | Aziz | Arya | Habib | Julia | Clara | Cyril | |
| Country | |||||||
| Decathlon staff member or not? | |||||||
| Job title | |||||||
| Role/Work on product | |||||||
| Role towards Decathlon | |||||||
| Extra info |
b/ What can you say about the tone and speed delivery of the message?
c/ What about the focus on the 21st century communication means and choice of media?
d/ What key values?
e/ What plan is Charlie (Felgate) unveiling here?
B. Analysing:
1. Who is behind this plan? Who communicates here?
2. Why did they choose to call it “vision”?
3. What means do they use? Is their approach innovative – if so, why?