Dear Amigos,
Decathlon unveils a complete rebranding, introducing new aspirations, a redefined positioning, and a revitalized identity.
Image Credit: Decathlon
Decathlon, a retail sports brand born in 1976, is undergoing a radical transformation with its massive rebranding. $15 billion in revenue and 2000 stores worldwide, position this retail store as the third-largest sports company globally. Decathlon has long meant where you find everything you need for sports. They design for everyone and everything: all sports, for all people, regardless of skill level. This new rebrand shows the company’s new purpose, and some drastic changes in terms of visual communication: logo, wordmark, color, and a more defined personality.
Why is Decathlon deciding to do a rebrand?
But why a rebranding? Difficult question to answer. However, as the branding studio declares: “…despite its scale, Decathlon’s cultural impact in sport was faint and it was losing out on younger audiences.” That could lead us to think Decathlon wants to conquer Gen Zs, and also stay relevant. But honestly, there could be a hundred reasons why such a colossal name decides to rebrand, so understanding the big why is not an easy answer, or a unique one. This article by Smash Brand walks you through some valid reasons why a company might decide to rebrand.
Image Credit: Decathlon
Apart from the Wolff Olins declarations, another reason could be to establish Decathlon not only as a reseller and retail store, but as a brand that makes it all for sports. Most of the brands you can find in Decathlon are MADE BY the brand, such as Quechua, B-Twin, Domyos, Kipsta, among others. We will need to wait and see how this story unravels, they might all fall into the same visual identity. Also, the project presentation by the brand agency suggests so.
Crafting a Cohesive Brand Identity
Wolff Olins took on the challenge of crafting a cohesive new brand that would elevate Decathlon from a mere retailer to an adaptable global sports brand across 70 markets, catering to 85 sports with online and offline touchpoints. Currently, sports narrative often fixates on elite performance and perfection, stories of “success”. Decathlon aimed to shift the focus towards inclusion: the diverse stories of sports enthusiasts at all levels. Beyond just selling sports gear, Decathlon’s mission is to invite everyone to share and experience the joys and wonders of sport, at all levels. You don’t need to be a pro, you just need to be ready to play.
Image Credit: Decathlon
A Powerful Purpose: “Move People Through the Wonders of Sport”
The redefined approach to physical activity comes with a fresh brand identity, strategy, and communication style. Anchored by their North Star—”Move People Through the Wonders of Sport”—Decathlon aims to make sports inclusive, joyful, and accessible to all. This purpose embodies multiple layers of significance, from promoting active lifestyles and emotional well-being to fostering inclusion and sustainability.
Image Credit: Decathlon
The New Brand Identity
A strategy and design system that fits 85 sub-brands into a unified Decathlon brand, composed by diverse graphic assets and modifications.
- Bespoke typeface, Decathlon Sans, designed by Grilli Type: “It’s a clean grotesque typeface designed to make an impact, by offering intentional disruptions with a set of alternate characters that infuse it with movement and dynamism”. – Wolff Olins
- A New vibrant shade of blue
- Modified wordmark, the proportions of type are definitely different. The CA ligature has drastically changed.
- The Orbit, the brand’s new symbol “we introduced a new symbol, L’Orbit, to reflect the new North Star: ‘move people through the wonders of sport.’ The symbol conveys 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, signaling a new narrative for sport, celebrating movement, participation, and progress”. – Wolff Olins
- New iconography
- New tone of voice as shown in the ADV developed by BBDO and planned by Mediaplus.
Image Credit: Decathlon
A Collaborative Journey Towards Transformation
The journey of reinventing a brand of such magnitude and cultural significance was no small feat. Wolff Olins collaborated closely with Decathlon’s leadership and employees to ensure a seamless transformation that resonates with global audiences. The result is a brand that truly embodies Decathlon’s essence—a global multi-specialist sports brand that celebrates the wonders of sport for all.
This is the beginning of a long journey. Branding is a long play game, we need to wait and see how this identity fits into its audience and the outcomes it will have. For sure, we can celebrate this outstanding branding work, and this new strategy the brand is adopting, a plan aligned with sustainability and inclusivity.
Image Credit: Decathlon
You can read Decathlon’s press release at the following link, and also check out Wolff Olins’ case study here.
Hopefully, this case study will help all of you, dear amigos, in your branding journey. Studying the work of giants like https://wolffolins.com/ is nothing but the best of lessons in the branding niche. As always, it was a pleasure to share these moments with you. Keep up the great work and see you soon.
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