Intersport Launches Mission to Help People Find Their Place in Sport

Intersport, the world's leading sports retailer, launches 'Wherever You Take Training', the first chapter of a multi-category brand platform to reinforce the brand’s essential place at the beating heart of local sport.

With revenue now topping twelve billion euros, Intersport’s new brand-led growth plan comes as the broader retail industry is undergoing radical change driven by evolving consumer behaviour, digital transformation and competition from larger online players.

'Wherever You Take Training' is the first work to launch after Amsterdam-based creative agency WE ARE Pi won the global Intersport AOR account in early 2019. WE ARE Pi has spent the last year working with the newly formed Intersport global marketing team to develop a global brand strategy and multi-category brand platform.

Everyone needs a place in sport. The new brand platform, 'Heart of Sport', tells real stories from local communities. It reminds people that wherever they take sport, Intersport has the products, advice and enthusiasm to help them get there.

WE ARE Pi’s first act was to conduct Intersport’s most comprehensive piece of international consumer research to date, with over 1,600 customers in the UK, Germany and France. The key finding: Everyone needs a place in sport. The research reveals an unfortunate truth; 66% of people say they still haven’t found their place in sport, with 88% saying that they don’t see themselves as athletes.

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. 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. By building on its closeness to local sport communities, Intersport is investing in seasonal brand storytelling to connect emotionally and physically to its customers, however they interact with sport.

Intersport CEO Steve Evers says: “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.”

Through its continued investment in local sports communities, Intersport is 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.

Steve continues: “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.”

Launching mid-January, the first two chapters of 'Wherever You take Training' take viewers on a fascinating journey through some of the most unique and interesting communities in sport. From the stereotype-busting presence of 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. Coming out in February, the third and fourth chapters tell the story of two German runners who are taking the sport to unexpected levels and locations. Further iterations of 'Heart of Sport' will come out in the summer.

WE ARE Pi produced the films with Berlin-based director duo ‘I AM HERE’, creating an elevated and stylised world thanks to strong visual techniques, mixing archive footage from each character’s life paired with visual effects, editorial, analog stills and graphics.

Barney Hobson, WE ARE Pi executive creative director concludes: “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. Wherever you look, you find people taking sport to incredible places.”

'Wherever You take Training' will run across Europe (France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Spain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Greece, Slovenia), China and Australia, on TV, Online, Social, Digital, OOH, Print and In-Store.