This Black Friday, Decathlon is inviting Canadians to prioritize their well-being over shopping with its "Make Time for Sports" initiative.
Created in partnership with full-service creative marketing agency Rethink and Canadian agency Cossette Media, the campaign encourages individuals to step away from sales and schedule time for physical activity instead.
Participants are asked to book their chosen activity on their calendar and invite make.timeforsports@decathlon.com to the event.
Once registered on the dedicated website, select participants will be rewarded with sports gear from a curated list.
The initiative counters the overspending and stress often associated with Black Friday, offering a healthy alternative rooted in Decathlon’s belief that sports can improve both mental and physical health.
Marie-Loy Blais, Decathlon’s director for marketing, talked about the brand’s commitment to promoting health and wellness through meaningful initiatives in a statement:
“We’re passionate about making a positive impact on communities. On a day like Black Friday, when wellness often takes a backseat, we wanted to stand for something different and meaningful.”
To bring the campaign to life, Decathlon and Rethink took over popular sports spaces, such as tennis courts and swimming pools, to visually represent the concept.
Meeting invitations overlaid on these spaces reinforce the simple yet impactful message: make time for sports.
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The campaign aligns with Decathlon’s sustainability-focused business model, which prioritizes year-round fair pricing, circularity, and longer product lifespans.
As part of its Net Zero commitment by 2050, the brand collaborates with suppliers to decarbonize operations while enabling customers to repair, reuse, and recycle products.
By merging creative marketing with purpose, Decathlon strengthens its brand’s connection with conscious consumers.
Creative agencies excel in crafting campaigns that authentically reflect a brand’s mission and values, and Decathlon Canada's collaboration with Rethink and Cossette Media highlights this.
Championing Purpose-Driven Initiatives
Decathlon’s history of purpose-driven initiatives, such as "Ability Signs" and "Outage," underscores its dedication to accessibility, inclusion, and the greater good.
By flipping Black Friday on its head, the brand encourages Canadians to embrace the joys of sport while staying true to its mission to “Move People Through the Wonders of Sport.”
Other companies are also riding the Black Friday wave in increasingly creative ways.
Recently, Finland's Aamu Foundation launched its bold #CancerForSale campaign, urging people to redirect their Black Friday spending to life-saving donations.
