La campagne « The Thermal Discount » de Sports Experts, lancée au Canada en novembre 2017, exploite une approche expérientielle pour renforcer la proposition de valeur de la marque autour du lien entre effort physique et récompense. En installant un dispositif de détection thermique dans une station de métro de Montréal, le dispositif mesurait la chaleur corporelle des passants et offrait des réductions proportionnelles à l’intensité de leur effort, en incitant notamment à choisir les escaliers plutôt que l’escalator. Cette activation traduit la promesse implicite de Sports Experts : encourager et valoriser l’activité physique comme un style de vie accessible et gratifiant, tout en associant son offre à la performance et à la motivation personnelle.
La stratégie marketing mise sur un insight clair : inciter les consommateurs à intégrer davantage l’exercice dans leur quotidien en valorisant l’effort visible et tangible. Le ciblage se concentre sur les citadins actifs ou potentiellement actifs, souvent confrontés à des choix entre confort passif et mouvement, en jouant sur la dimension ludique et interactive d’une récompense immédiate. Créativement, le recours au médium expérientiel dans un contexte urbain fréquenté amplifie l’impact en générant un engagement direct et authentique, tout en utilisant la technologie pour matérialiser la performance individuelle. Par ailleurs, le choix d’une campagne en français au Québec reflète une adaptation culturelle locale, renforçant la proximité avec la communauté sportive locale. Cette initiative positionne Sports Experts non seulement comme un détaillant d’articles de sport, mais aussi comme un acteur qui encourage activement un mode de vie sain et performant.
FORMAT#1 DEMONSTRATION — Directly shows how a product works and highlights its benefits.
This campaign fits the Demonstration format because it uses a real-world, experiential setup (thermal detection device in a subway station) to visibly capture and reward people’s physical exertion—those who choose the stairs. The tagline “the more you sweat, the more you get” and the physical measurement of exertion directly links effort to discount, making the performance benefit of sports and fitness products tangible. The narrative centers on a direct, participatory display of the product category’s benefits rather than a story, symbol, or comparison—firmly making this a demonstration.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Sport Chek – Market Positioning
Sport Chek is Canada’s largest sporting goods retailer, positioning itself as a one-stop shop offering a wide range of sports equipment, apparel, and footwear. They emphasize innovation, accessibility, and catering to all levels of athletes, supported by strong physical and digital presence. Their strategic focus includes exclusive brand partnerships and leveraging technology like in-store services and personalized shopping experiences.
2. MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) – Market Positioning
MEC differentiates itself through a strong commitment to sustainability and community-driven initiatives focused on outdoor and adventure sports. They position as a co-operative brand emphasizing quality, environmental responsibility, and expert advice for outdoor enthusiasts, targeting a niche market passionate about hiking, climbing, and camping gear.
3. Adidas Canada – Market Positioning
Adidas leverages its global brand equity in performance and lifestyle sportswear, emphasizing innovative technology and style. Their Canadian market approach balances high-performance athletic gear with trendy athleisure, appealing to both competitive athletes and casual consumers who value fashion-forward sportswear.
4. Lululemon Athletica – Market Positioning
While primarily focused on yoga and fitness apparel, Lululemon’s positioning centers on premium quality, community engagement, and a lifestyle brand appeal. They differentiate through high-end technical fabrics, aspirational branding, and fostering a loyal customer base via experiential retail and wellness-oriented community events.
5. Decathlon Canada – Market Positioning
Decathlon positions itself as an affordable, value-driven retailer offering a broad spectrum of sports products with a focus on innovation and accessibility. They target diverse customer segments by providing in-house brands designed to deliver quality at competitive prices, leveraging a direct-to-consumer model to disrupt traditional retail margins.
Q: What is The Thermal Discount about?
A: The Thermal Discount is a professional campaign launched in Canada in 2017 for Sports Experts, created by the agency Rethink. This experiential campaign took place in a busy Montreal subway station, where a thermal detection device was installed to measure commuters’ physical exertion as they chose between stairs and escalators. The more effort participants expended—measured by how much they sweated—the greater the discount they received at Sports Experts stores. The campaign was delivered primarily in French, targeting the local market, and aimed to promote active lifestyles by directly engaging consumers in a real-world setting.
Q: What creative device does The Thermal Discount use?
A: The Thermal Discount employs the Demonstration format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This approach directly shows how the brand’s proposition works by using a real-world, interactive setup—a thermal detection device in a public space—to visibly measure and reward physical effort. The campaign’s tagline, the more you sweat, the more you get, makes the benefit of an active lifestyle tangible and immediate. Rather than relying on narrative or symbolism, the campaign centers on a participatory display of the product category’s benefits, firmly situating it within the Demonstration format.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for The Thermal Discount?
A: The campaign proposition for The Thermal Discount centers on reinforcing Sports Experts’ value around the link between physical effort and reward. By installing a thermal detection device in a Montreal subway station, the campaign measured participants’ exertion and offered discounts proportional to their effort, encouraging commuters to choose the stairs over the escalator. This strategy targets urban consumers who face daily choices between passive and active behaviors, using immediate, tangible rewards to motivate movement. The campaign’s French-language execution in Quebec further aligns with local culture, positioning Sports Experts as a brand that champions accessible, rewarding, and performance-driven lifestyles.
Q: How does The Thermal Discount rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: The Thermal Discount holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 72/100. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as evaluated by Clapboard’s global ad archive.
Q: Who are the competitors in Sports Experts' category?
A: In the Canadian sports and fitness retail sector, Sports Experts faces competition from several key players. Sport Chek positions itself as the country’s largest sporting goods retailer with a focus on innovation and accessibility for athletes of all levels. MEC stands out through its commitment to sustainability and expert-driven advice for outdoor enthusiasts. Adidas Canada leverages global brand equity in both performance and lifestyle sportswear, balancing technology and style. Lululemon Athletica emphasizes premium quality and community engagement in the fitness apparel space, while Decathlon Canada disrupts the market with affordable, innovative in-house brands and a direct-to-consumer model.
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