It’s Quitters Day today, January 9, the traditional end of New Year’s resolutions for many. For even more, those good intentions will evaporate by the end of the month. In Canada, 48% prioritise fitness as their top New Year’s resolution but Drive Research on 2024 showed that roughly 92% fail to see their resolutions through. This year, Rethink and Decathlon helped Canadians is avoiding the temptation to fail – by making the band’s best-selling shoe unreturnable.
The partners turned a standard return policy into a pledge to stay committed. Between January 1 and 31 customers purchasing the KIPRUN 500 WR models are symbolically waiving their right to return the product. On the product page, customers will be shown a warning, stating that, by purchasing the shoes, they are agreeing to not return them as they’ll be sticking to their New Year’s resolution to keep moving. Members who stick to their resolution will be rewarded with 1,000 bonus loyalty points in recognition of their commitment to movement.
“We often talk about removing friction from the customer journey, yet here, we’re using friction as a strategic tool for motivation,” said Xavier Blais, partner and executive creative director at Rethink. “By challenging the standard return policy, we’re leaning into a fundamental brand truth: Decathlon deeply cares about its customers staying active. It’s a bold move for a retailer to suggest a product is unreturnable, but we’re flipping the script to show how this supports people’s goals: It transforms the brand from a vendor into an accountability partner.”
“We see that people want to start the year strong, but the temptation to quit is often too easy,” added Marie-Lou Blais, marketing and communications director at Decathlon. “Decathlon’s mission goes deeper than convenience as we genuinely care about our customers’ sustained well-being and their ability to commit to themselves. The unreturnable shoe is our playful way of intervening at a pivotal moment, turning a simple purchase into a powerful act of self-commitment, and we’re sweetening the deal with an advantageous point incentive.”
Credits:
Client: Décathlon Canada
Client Team: Marie-Lou Blais, Alexandre Thériault, Marie Delerue Bricout, Audrée Bellehumeur & Justin Mignot
Creative Agency: Rethink
Chief Creative Officers: Aaron Starkman & Mike Dubrick
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Creative Director: Jonathan Lavoie
Associate Creative Directors: Sophia Kossoski & Laura De Santis
Strategy Team: Sean McDonald, Pascal Routhier & Clément Martin
Account Management: Alex Lefebvre, Gabrielle Bergeron & Viviane Griffin-Mathieu
PR: Meredith Burns, Kristel Dupont, Èle Thibault & Chenda McKissick
Producer: Claire Khan
Media: Cossette
