Decathlon hacks surf cams in its latest campaign, spotlighting its natural wetsuits with a range of footage taken from live surf feeds around the world.
Developed by AMV BBDO, the majority of the campaign was shot on existing cameras at key surf spots across the world.
The 60-second film opens with a series of live feeds which show people appearing in the frames holding signs up to the camera, with each one created from objects found on or associated with the beach.
This includes surfboards, driftwood, parasols and big letters written in the sand. When stitched together the signs announce the launch of the new Yule x 100 wetsuit.
Most of the production was carried out remotely with LA based filmmaker Bob Partington directing the shoot via live surf cams and liaising directly with teams in Portugal and France.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing campaigns sent straight to your inbox each morning
Running across 17 markets including the UK, Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa, the Decathlon campaign also includes 20-second and 15-second iterations of the films.
The campaign will also run online with supporting in-store, experiential, press and OOH work. It comes after the sportswear retailer rebranded in March this year, as it seeks to compete with the likes of Nike and Adidas.
“At Decathlon, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We work hard to break new ground, from our new sustainable Yulex wetsuit made using 100% natural rubber to the way we market it, reaching those who will use it via a unique media channel they watch every day,” said Decathlon chief marketing officer Raphael Goumain.
AMV BBDO creative directors Jack Smedley and George Hackforth Jones added: “The surfing community is like no other. They have unique habits and customs, so we needed to speak to them in a way that felt authentic.
“‘Hacking’ the surf cams they use every day allows us to speak to them in their own language.”
