DECATHLON

HAVING A BALL AT THE US GRAND OPENING

Overview

When French sporting goods retailer, Decathlon, looked to put down roots in the Bay Area to establish its first U.S. superstore, it turned to rEvolution to help develop and execute its strategy to bring attention to the store’s April Grand Opening, pushing to rally the community around its newest value-based business with a major philanthropic project, media outreach, a VIP kick-off and public Grand Opening weekend.

Community Events

Connecting with the community firsthand, Decathlon launched the Have a Ball Tour in Le Blue, the eye-catching vintage Decathlon blue Citroen van. The tour brought smiles through equipment drops at schools, teams, youth programs and more across the neighborhood – including the Fam 1st Foundation – as well as a surprise dunk show at Washington Elementary School with three-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion and former Golden State Warrior Nate Robinson and the Warriors Dunk Team. The spectacle attracted a number of Bay Area news stations who captured it all for the evening and morning news.

VIP & Grand Opening

Managing the 47,000 square-foot experiential and retail superstore event production and operations across the VIP party and Grand Opening celebrations was no small feat. Things kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Oakland and Emeryville mayors as well as French Consul General, followed by a 700-person VIP celebration. A few days later, rEvolution took the lead again to ensure everything went smoothly when the doors opened to the full public for its Grand Opening to match the momentous occasion – featuring games, music, food, activities, giveaways and more all week long.