Powerade will leverage the March Madness college
basketball tournament and NBA basketball star Ja Morant to showcase the sports drink’s recent reformulation that includes 50% more electrolytes.
It’s the first athletic sponsorship
for Powerade in five years.
Accompanied by music from Memphis-born artist NLE Choppa and voiceovers from Morant’s father Tee, the campaign creative will show the hard work and
after-hours dedication that athletes endure to reach the next level of their development.
Coca-Cola says it’s the largest marketing campaign and media spend in Powerade
history—with activations across national television, out-of-home, radio and social media .
Earlier this year Powerade executed a packaging refresh and brand reformulation, promoting the
fact it has has 50% more electrolytes than competitor Gatorade Thirst Quencher, and vitamins B12 and D—which Gatorade does not—as illustrated by this
Instagram post.
advertisement
advertisement
“Powerade is a dynamic brand with a deep history but it was time to evolve our game” Matt Dzamba, CMO of the BodyArmor Sports Nutrition brand umbrella that includes
Powerade, said in a news release.
The commercial will premiere March 14 during the opening of March Madness, the annual NCAA men’s basketball tournament of which Powerade has been the
official sports drink since 2010.
The campaign comes as Coca-Cola seeks to rejuvenate the BodyArmor sports hydration brand, which it acquired for $5.6
billion.
In the two-week period ended Feb. 11, Coca-Cola had a 26.3% dollar share of the sports drinks market, behind PepsiCo at 65.6%.