• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 18, 2013

Whether it's courtesy of a Sasquatch in spandex shorts or a heartfelt father-daughter basketball match, both REI and SportsAuthority are hoping consumers will get outdoorsy with this year's gift-giving. The retailers are rolling out seasonal campaigns meant to appeal to consumers' urge to help their loved ones get active and have more fun.

REI is devoting its holiday muscle to what a spokeswoman calls “its highly engaged community, across all social platforms.” The Seattle-based retailer has created holiday gift videos, featured on its site, with advice about everything outdoorsy, from kayaks for experts to snow boots for toddlers.

In addition to the library of some 30 to 35 videos of REI “green vests” sharing recommendations for products, the outdoor outfitter says it plans to introduce a video series of outdoor sports celebrities and influencers, sharing their favorite product recommendations, as well. And between Dec. 3 and 4, its gift-giving team plans to field customer gift dilemmas on both Twitter and Facebook, responding with #REIGifts video suggestions. (The Seattle-based retailer is also offering classes in snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in December to increase traffic during the holiday period.)

A spokeswoman says that the company is using both organic posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, as well as paid advertising on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

SportsAuthority is also emphasizing hands-on experiences in its holiday campaign, with national TV ads themed “There's nothing like the gift of sport.”

The spots feature young amateur athletes hard at play, with a voiceover that extols the virtue of unplugging kids from electronics, real games over electronic ones. Ads are from the Factory Design Labs. The Englewood, Colo.-based company is also running a large sweepstakes, giving away $500,000 in prizes.