January 2020 saw Intersport launch its first global brand platform, ‘Heart Of Sport’, to reinforce the sports retailer’s place at the beating heart of local sport.
Conceived and created by agency We Are Pi, the initiative puts local sports heroes at the centre of the message and the brand position as it sets off on a mission to help everyone find their own place in sport.
The platform is based around the big idea that ‘everyone needs a place in sport’ and it tells real stories from local communities and reminds people that wherever they take sport, Intersport has the products, advice and enthusiasm to help them get there.
Launched in mid-January, the debut phase of what is planned as a multi-category brand platform, was led by two chapters of ‘Wherever You Take Training’ which creatively take viewers on a journey through some of the most unique and interesting communities in sport.
These range from the stereotype-buster who is Scotland’s strongest woman Emma-Jane Smith, to inner city London community champion Foysol Miah training kids at the Steel Warriors gym made from upcycled melted down knives.
A hero 30-second TV commercial
was supported by short films about each of the two athletes in the spotlight.
These will be followed in February by the third and fourth chapters which tell the story of two German runners who are taking the sport to unexpected levels and locations.
Further iterations of ‘Heart of Sport’ will roll out through the summer as the campaign evolves during 2020.
The ‘Wherever You take Training’ work runs across Europe (France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Spain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Greece, Slovenia), China and Australia and the new brand platform spans TV, online, social, digital, OOH, print and in-store.
‘Wherever You Take Training’ is the first work to launch since the Amsterdam-based creative agency We Are Pi won the global Intersport AOR account in 2019 without a pitch.
Since then the agency has been working with the brand’s marketing team on developing a fresh global strategy and a paired multi-category brand platform.
The team began by conducting Intersport’s most comprehensive international consumer research project ever which saw more than 1,600 customers in France, Germany and the UK contacted and engaged.
The key finding from the research was that ‘everyone needs a place in sport’ and it also revealed an unfortunate truth that 66% of people say they still haven’t found their place in sport and 88% admitting that they don’t see themselves as athletes.
The research phase also found that ‘where, how and with whom people do sport is key to getting the most out their chosen activity’ from an ‘emotional, physical and psychological point of view’.
This led the team to develop the idea that ‘from your team or training buddy, to the terrain you’re on and the equipment you use – each ingredient helps build confidence and pride, giving you more enjoyment and getting you closer to your goal(s), whatever they might be’.
The strategy is revolves around the belief that by building on its closeness to local sport communities and its continued investment in local sports communities, Intersport’s parallel investment in seasonal brand storytelling to connect emotionally and physically to its customers, however they interact with sport, will be key to future growth.
Intersport is, according the company itself, the world’s largest physical sporting network and has become an essential pillar for communities that rely on the brand’s expertise and support for leagues, clubs and burgeoning local sport scenes.
“Intersport is a hyper local sports retailer run by sports enthusiasts who combine expertise with the advantage of global buying scale to create the best value for our customers. We exist to serve and champion the beating heart of sport,” said Intersport CEO Steve Evers.
“What better partner to help a new generation of curious sports enthusiasts than Intersport? Our employees across the world live and breathe local sport in every category and form, from global sports like football, to thriving local sport scenes, like handball in Germany or surfing in Australia,” added Evers.
Agency We Are Pi produced the films with Berlin-based director duo ‘I Am Here’.
“The Heart of Sport doesn’t lie in corporate boxes or champagne-sponsored receptions, but in the neighbourhood streets people run on and the forgotten warehouses they train in,” explained We Are Pi executive creative director Barney Hobson.
“Wherever you look, you find people taking sport to incredible places.”
The campaign was created for Intersport International’s General Manager Marketing Christoph Frechen and Marketing Services Senior Manager Willy Beyeler by a team at agency We Are Pi which included Chief Executive Officer Alex Bennett-Grant, Executive Creative Director Rick Chant, Executive Creative Director Barney Hobson, Creative Director Matteo Maggiore, Creative Director Valerio Mangiafico, Lead Designer Seth Josephs, Designers Nick Fatouris and Fleur Ellis, Director of Strategy Mark Lester, Strategist Paris Bethel, Managing Director Patrick Garvey, Business Director Agathe Derrstroff, Senior Account Manager Faye Tuckley, Account Executive Slav Slavov, Senior Producer Vyvy Ly, Research Producer Francesca Mirza, Senior Production Director Kim Buttery, Business Affairs Director Barrie Williams and Business Affairs Manager Emilie Douque.
Production was by Mr Frank, the director was I AM HERE, with Director of Photography Harry Wheeler, Executive Producer Miguel Teixeira, Producer Mathilda Hedberg, Production Manager Kathy Sihavong, Camera Assistants (Scotland) Erin Currie (and London) Philip Heron, Sound (Scotland) Jonny Mcloone and Sound (London) Rory Rea, Hair & Make Up (Scotland) Rhona Stewart, Hair & Make Up (London) Susana Mota, Photographer Piet Oosterbeek, Featured Talent Emma-Jane Smith and Foysol Miah.
The editors were Edit Sjoerd Dekker and Chris Hicks, with Music Composer Marco Cucco, Colourist Ruben Labree, the Colour Facility was The Compound, with Audio Post Production Stainless, Sound Designer Nick Smith and Graphics Designer Veronica Allara.
Comment:
Creatively the films create an elevated and stylised world through strong visual techniques that mix archive footage from each character’s life paired with visual effects, editorial, analog stills and graphics.
We like it!
Intersport is building a strong track record for impactful and innovative creative.
Among its recent standout work was its back-to-school, football-led 2019 ‘Offside’ campaign (see case study) its 2017 ‘Run The Spring’ initiative (see case study) and its 2016 ‘The Ad that Ran’.
The France-based retailer, which claims to be the world’s biggest sports retailer, now boasts global revenues of more than €12bn and its ongoing, brand-led growth plan is rolling out whilst the broader retail industry is undergoing radical restructuring as the rise of digital enables/drives changing consumer behaviour and sees the giant online players steamroller into the sports retail space.
Links:
Intersport
https://www.youtube.com/user/GroupeIntersport
https://www.facebook.com/intersport.france/
https://twitter.com/intersport_fr
https://www.instagram.com/intersportfr/
We Are Pi
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