The new Decathlon's identity

It may have been the restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, it may have been the gorpcore or techwear trends that have turned fashion into a lifestyle, or thanks to Central Cee and Ye's outfits, but many brands and stores involved in the industry have seen their business grow vertically in recent years. The best known and most widely recognized brand is Decathlon, a French giant that has secured a large share of the market thanks to its widespread distribution, competitive prices and wide range of sports. And it is precisely this fortunate time that Decathlon has taken advantage of to launch a new visual and graphic identity, designed to make both the store and the brands associated with the company even more credible and futuristic. With the new look, Decathlon is trying to break away from being a retailer and instead establish itself as a 'global sports brand' in its own right.

Currently, Decathlon's range is spread across 9 categories alongside other wholesale brands: Quechua (mountain sports), Tribord (water and wind sports), Rockrider (cycling), Domyos (fitness), Kuikma (rackets), Kipsta (team sports), Caperlan (wildlife), Btwin (urban mobility) and Inesis (targets and golf). In addition, there are four other lines for more professional activities such as Van Rysel, Simond, Kiprun and Solognac. A change of pace that had already been hinted at earlier this year when the brand became a sponsor of a World Tour cycling team, Decathlon-AG2R, and also supplies all the technical materials. A similar strategy to a few years ago, when the brand became the official supplier of Ligue 1 with Kipsta.

The brand consultancy Wolff Olins worked for two years to change the face of the French company and introduce a new logo called L'Orbit, which is used on numerous products and is rejected in communication and in the appearance of the stores. The new claim that will accompany the first launch advertising campaigns was also unveiled: "Ready to play?". A new positioning that seeks to make sport even more affordable and accessible to different professional groups. Decathlon is also focusing on an even more personalized customer experience through the use of AI and special software in the digital store, while customers in the US will be able to shop directly with Apple Vision Pro. Another important point is the promotion of sustainability through a path that should lead the company to net-zero carbon print by 2050.