Athletic women are increasingly wearing workout gear as everyday fashion. And so are women who never go near a gym—giving rise to the "Athleisure" fashion trend. And with women's activewear booming, Dick's Sporting Goods is prepping its first ad campaign aimed directly at fitness-minded women.
Dick's CMO Lauren Hobart gave Adweek an exclusive preview of a new spot—"Choices: Who Will You Be?"—from Anomaly, New York, that's scheduled to break May 15 on ESPN, E!, Bravo and other networks. It's the first ad to target women specifically in the retailer's broader "Who Will You Be?" campaign, which launched in March.
In the 60-second spot, women must juggle their busy lives to meet their fitness goals. A young mom jogs on a treadmill—while listening to her baby monitor. Another mom jogs to pick up her son at grammar school rather than driving there.
"Who will you be?" asks the spot. "Every run. Every workout. Every day. Every choice. Every season starts at Dick's Sporting Goods.
Women now make up half of the shoppers in the sporting goods category, according to Hobart. If they're not shopping for their families, they're shopping for comfortable, stylish activewear for themselves. That's why the retailer is expanding floor space devoted to women's attire across its 600-plus U.S. stores, which generate over $6 billion in total sales.
"The big insight behind this campaign, as it pertains to women, is that women juggle a lot. There is a lot that women need to get done in any given day," Hobart said. "So the choice to work out—and the choice to fit in fitness—is a challenging choice for people. They have to find the time."
The debut spot will be followed by eight 15-second vignettes. The effort runs from May through July. (The digital effort breaks May 3.) "Success for me would be if women watch this spot and see themselves in it," said Hobart. "And understand that we understand the choices they have to make every single day."
Dick's is hardly the only advertiser targeting this market. Under Armour has rolled out campaigns starring ballerina Misty Copeland and supermodel Gisele Bündchen. Ditto for Nike, which reports sales from its women's business are growing faster than men's.
CREDITS
Client: Dicks Sporting Goods
Agency: Anomaly
Global Creative Officer/Partner: Mike Byrne
Group Creative Director: Seth Jacobs
Sr. Copywriter: Johnny Dantonio
Sr. Art Director: Matt Walton
Sr. Copywriter: Barry Katz
Sr. Art Director: Alex Kaplan
Copywriter: Dan Shapiro
Art Director: Chris Araujo
Copywriter: Jeremy Straight
Art Director: Bryce Cline
Head of Broadcast Production: Andrew Loevenguth
Sr. Producer: Matt Flaherty
Sr. Producer: Jenn Pennington
Business Director: Damien Reid
Account Director: Ji You
Account Director: Mike Reuter
Business Affairs: Annemarie Cullen/Carla Curry
Project Manager: Allison Uecker
Prod. Company: Park Pictures
Director: AG Rojas
Director: Lisa Rubisch
Director: Chris Wilcha
Executive Producer: Justin Pollock
Executive Producer: Jackie Kellman Brisbee
Head of Production: Anne Bobroff
Producer: Pete Vitale
Producer: Nina Shiffman
Producer: Michelle Currinder
Director of Photography: Bradford Young
1st AD: Andi Budman
Production Designer: Rodney Becker
Wardrobe Stylist: Summar Shalah
Casting/Sports Supervisor: Mike Fisher/Varsity Casting
Casting: The Cast Station
Director of Photography: Jody Lee Lipes
1st AD: Peter Jackson
Production Designer: Amelia Battaglio
Wardrobe Stylist: Laura Jeane Shannon
Casting: Janine Martel/Martine Casting
Director of Photography: Adam Beckman
1st AD: Peter Jackson
Production Designer: Harper Hellams
Wardrobe Stylist: Giselle Knee
Casting/Sports Supervisor: Mike Fisher/Varsity Casting
Casting: Universal Casting
Editorial: Consulate
Editor: Peter Johnson
Editor: Ryan McCally
Executive Producer: Alan Lopez
Post: MPC
Executive Producer: Jesse Kernit
Producer: Michele Watkins
Telecine: Company 3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Sound Mix: Heard City
Audio Engineer/Sound Design: Eric Warzecha
Producer: Heath Raymond
Music: Search Party, Duotone Music