Playgrounds to Podiums
When a global sporting moment couldn't be leveraged locally due to licensing restrictions, we reframed the conversation around what mattered most to Australian families: getting more kids into sport. Our campaign transformed a limitation into a purpose-led national campaign, combining research, PR, community engagement and brand storytelling to strengthen Decathlon's position as a champion of accessible sport.
Rather than talking about elite athletes, this campaign focused on where every sporting journey begins. By connecting a global sporting moment with a local community initiative, we created a national campaign that built brand awareness, generated significant earned media and delivered a meaningful impact for schools across Australia.
Branding
Strategy
PR & Media
Community Building
Branding Strategy PR & Media Community Building
The Context
In 2024, Decathlon France became an Official Partner of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. While this presented a significant global brand moment, strict licensing regulations meant Decathlon Australia could not directly reference or leverage the Games locally.
At the same time, Australians are highly nationalistic and competitive at the Olympics - we punch above our weight on the world stage after all - and we tune in at all hours of the day (or night!) to cheer on our team.
With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, we saw an opportunity to participate in the cultural conversation around sport in a way that was authentic to our purpose and relevant to Australian families. However, rather than focus on elite athletes, we asked a different question:
What if we could help the future Olympians sitting in Australian primary school classrooms today?
The Insight
One of Decathlon’s key missions is to “make sport accessible to everyone.”
Research revealed a concerning trend: rising cost-of-living pressures were creating barriers to participation in youth sport, while many children had limited exposure to a broad range of sports - including those in which Australia traditionally wins medals.
This insight led to a simple but powerful idea that if we want to inspire the next generation of athletes, access needs to start earlier.
Instead of speaking about the Olympics directly, we created Playgrounds to Podiums - a national campaign designed to inspire participation in sport and support schools with much-needed equipment.
The campaign aligned three objectives:
Reinforce Decathlon's purpose of making sport accessible.
Elevate brand awareness and brand relevance in Australia during a key media moment.
Generate national conversation around youth participation in sport.
The Execution
Schools across every Australian state and territory were invited to apply for a share of $100,000 worth of sporting equipment.
Applications encouraged schools to tell their stories, whether through written submissions or videos showcasing the challenges they faced in providing sporting opportunities for students.
An internal judging panel selected winning schools based on need, impact, and the potential to increase participation in sport.
The campaign was supported through:
National PR strategy and media outreach.
Commissioned research and data storytelling.
Content creation across owned and earned channels.
Local store engagement and community activation.
Cross-functional collaboration between marketing, commercial and retail teams.
One of the greatest challenges was operating within strict licensing restrictions while still participating in one of the world's biggest sporting moments. Rather than viewing these constraints as limitations, we used them as a catalyst for creativity and made a purpose-led campaign that didn’t rely on official event assets or logos - but was still reported on and seen by consumers as the time the Olympics were in their hearts and minds.
The Results
The campaign generated significant national attention and community engagement, reinforcing Decathlon's role as a brand that exists to make sport more accessible.
Key outcomes included:
130 pieces of earned media coverage.
Exclusive launch partnership with the Daily Telegraph across print, online, and syndicated News Corp channels.
National television coverage across Sunrise, 9 News, and 10 News.
Interviews broadcast across 42 radio stations nationally.
Increased brand awareness and positive sentiment during a major cultural sporting moment.
New relationships with schools and communities, creating future opportunities for local partnerships and engagement in a key demographic for the business.
14% increase in website traffic during campaign period YoY
400+ competition entries received
Most importantly, children across Australia gained access to sports they may never otherwise have had the opportunity to try.