Decathlon Invites Customers to Give Sports Equipment a Second Life in Latest Campaign

Sports retailer Decathlon has launched a new global campaign created by AMV BBDO to promote its BuyBack service. This initiative allows customers to return unwanted items in exchange for a voucher or cash back toward their next purchase.

To access the scheme, customers complete a quick online assessment to register their return before dropping off the item at any Decathlon store nationwide, where they can receive a voucher worth up to 40% of the item’s value, and in some markets cash on the spot. Through the BuyBack service, customers can also have sports gear repaired in-store, using genuine parts from the retailer’s extensive inventory of over 5,000 spare parts. Decathlon then refurbishes and resells the product to give it a second life.

The BuyBack service is part of Decathlon’s sustainability push toward a circular economy across all its products and follows the launch of its rental initiative last year.

The “Dreamin” campaign is an ode to forgotten sports equipment gathering dust in homes everywhere. The campaign film features a hiking bag, bikes, skis, and a paddleboard with human-like faces expressing sadness at being left unused. The endline invites people to “give forgotten gear the life it dreams of” with Decathlon’s BuyBack service.

Jack Smedley, creative director at AMV BBDO, added, “Without getting too philosophical, sports equipment is created with one fundamental purpose: to be used. The existential crisis faced by, for example, a pair of unloved skis pining for the mountain led us to an emotional way to communicate Decathlon's innovative buyback offer”.

To convey a sense of sadness and longing, AMV BBDO’s art direction anthropomorphised the equipment, creating an emotional connection with its tragic plight. Each 'face' was crafted in-camera by the art department and styling team, bringing the gear’s expressions to life with authentic detail.

The film will run in 80-, 15-, and 6-second versions across digital and online platforms in France, Italy, and the UK, expanding to additional EU markets by the end of the year.