Sport Chek wants to be known as a holiday gift retail destination.

New 15-second holiday campaign vignettes by the retailer focus on running, hockey, skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. Sport Chek VP of marketing Stephanie Wall says the objective of the brand’s “Say It With Sport” campaign is twofold, both to ground itself in a role as Canada’s destination for sport, but also knowing what’s top of mind for customers this holiday season.

The brand tagline, “find what moves you” is modified to include “find what gift moves you,” similar to what Sport Chek did earlier this year, subbing in “team” to highlight its offerings for kids sports.

The holiday centrism is a pivot from last year’s more functional focus, Wall explains, with the 2022 Sport Chek winter campaign effort going after active young families through a hero spot focused on outerwear and ski boots, but not explicitly referencing the holidays.

The current work marks a bit of an evolution, she explains, with Sport Chek grounding its messaging in both sport as a love language, but also in reminding its customers that it’s a great destination to meet gift-giving needs.

Wall tells strategy that in the videos, it wanted to hero key categories that are big priorities, like outerwear, running and team sports – which includes licensed hockey jerseys – and presenting itself as diversified in its offerings.

The holiday spots launches this November across conventional and connected TV and digital, and will run until Dec. 6.

The ad spend is consistent with previous spend, Wall says.

Cartier is the agency behind the work, Touché handled the buy.

Earlier this year, for its back-to-school campaign, Sport Chek sought to showcase the anchoring role that sports can play in the lives of young people.

In its November Q3 earnings report, parent Canadian Tire reported that Sport Chek comparable sales were down 7.4%, with “strong growth in team sports…offset by weakness in more discretionary categories, such as athletic footwear and clothing.”