Sporting Life is seeking to reassert itself as the destination for shoppers to find both performance and stylish sports apparel and gear.

“Where Sports Meets Style,” by Juliet, aims to highlight the connection between feeling good and looking good, and return the retailer to what made the brand successful since it was founded in 1979 – in a retail landscape that includes Sport Chek, Foot Locker and relative newcomer to Canada, Decathlon.

“Sporting Life has always been about sport and style – not one or the other,” says Kaiti Snell, head of strategy at Juliet.

The 30-second hero spot is set to upbeat music, and showcases the retailer’s core sports categories, including skiing, snowboarding, running, racquet sports, hiking, as well as yoga and in-studio exercise. The agency spent time with people who are active in each of the categories, as well as everyday athletes, to better understand their wants and needs.

“It became clear that ‘style’ is as much about what they do as what they wear,” says Snell.

The video is rolling out on national TV, including Quebec, and YouTube and social media. The campaign will extend into 2024 across all of its communication channels and will be included as part of the in-store shopping experience. Sporting Life director of marketing Denny Downie adds that the company was thrilled to launch the campaign in time for its peak season, adding it launched with the intent to re-introduce Canadians to the company’s brand.

Genuine Retail Media handled the buy.