Who: Sport Chek with Cartier for creative; 4Zéro1 for production; Canadian Tire Digital internal team for digital; Veritas Communications and Sport Chek Brand Communications internal team for PR; and Touché for media.
What: “Invest in yourself, no apologies necessary,” a series of short video spots that show gym-goers prioritizing their workout over other demands for their time and attention, whether that is the end of their lunch break, an incoming call, or notifications in the group chat.
When & Where: The campaign launched on March 7, running across TV, digital, and organic social, as well as PR support, in-store promotional events and flyers.
Why: It’s an Olympic year, which means Canadians are thinking more about the role that sport plays in their lives, but it’s also a year where Canadians are responding to inflation and rising costs by spending more purposefully, said Sport Chek’s vice-president of marketing, Stephanie Wall. “Invest in yourself, no apologies necessary” aims to convey the message that fitness and sports should remain a priority because they deliver benefits that outweigh the investment.
The new creative builds off Sport Chek’s “Say it with Sport” campaign that launched in for the 2023 gift-giving season, and positioned sport as a language. “Invest in yourself, no apologies necessary” emphasizes that sport is a language of self care that Canadians shouldn’t feel guilty about.
How: Taking inspiration from the popular culture expression, “sorry not sorry,” the spots show three individuals in different settings ignoring an interruption to continue their workout, followed by their faux apology as “sorry” appears on screen only to be crossed out in red. “Invest in yourself, no apologies necessary,” says the narrator.
“We thought it was a uniquely Canadian insight,” said Wall. “If you have friends from abroad who’ve visited, they might say ‘What’s with the sorry’s all the time?’ We Canadians tend to say sorry a lot, and ‘sorry not sorry’ is a trending phenomenon.”
“That was part of the culture we're looking to leverage, but it also really reinforces this notion of not needing to apologize for putting your fitness and being active at the top of the list, particularly in a time when customer spending is under pressure,” said Wall.
Reminding consumers that Sport Chek is an affordable option, the spots depict athletes in different environments, two are in gyms but the third is in a home living room. “We really want to empower Canadians to live an active, healthy lifestyle, which doesn't necessarily mean [going to] the most expensive boutique gym,” said Wall. “It could mean working out in your basement and having some new workout clothes that inspire you to get back to your routine.”
