• by Steve Ellwanger , March 20, 2023

Bodyarmor’s largest-ever campaign is a partnership with Jennifer Lopez for Bodyarmor Lyte just over a year after Carrie Underwood made her debut for the sports drink.

The Bodyarmor initiative comes as sister brand Powerade deals with fallout from its disrupted March Madness campaign that was supposed to feature Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant—who was suspended after posting a social media video of himself holding a gun.

This behind-the-scenes Bodyarmor Lyte campaign spot titled “Choose More” chronicles Lopez’ daily fitness routine to promote an active lifestyle—which the brand credits for her “multifaceted success.”

An alarm awakens the performer at 4:45 a.m., and she begins her day with a bottle of Bodyarmor Lyte before running along a beach as her voiceover asks “Do I want more? Can I grow stronger?”

“Jennifer Lopez is a global icon that transcends cultures and generations alike,” Matt Dzamba, CMO at Bodyarmor Sports Nutrition, said in a news release.

A campaign that broke in January of 2021 for Bodyarmor Lyte featuring music star Underwood mirrored the fitness regimen of Lopez and was created to help the brand broaden its target audience beyond the sports realm.

As previously reported, Powerade—the official sports drink of March Madness—had planned to unveil a campaign featuring Morant during the college basketball tournament.

Accompanied by music from Memphis-born artist NLE Choppa and voiceovers from Morant’s father Tee, the campaign creative was supposed to show the hard work and after-hours dedication that athletes endure to reach the next level of their development.

However, after Morant flashed a gun on March 4 while streaming video on Instagram at a Denver night club, he was suspended for eight games by the NBA, and Powerade pulled the campaign spots.

According to iSpot.tv, this Powerade commercial featuring a boy playing basketball and working out aired 24 times between the first and second rounds of March Madness

The Associated Press reported today that Morant could return to the Grizzlies’ bench tonight, but it wasn’t clear whether he would actually play.

MarketingDaily reached out to Powerade for an update on the brand’s relationship with Morant, and received an email noting that “We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have something to share.”

Celebrity marketing specialist and attorney Marc Ippolito, who is president of Burns Entertainment, says brands typically protect their interests using a morals clause—under which they can terminate a contract if the talent involved is arrested, charged or convicted of a crime.

“A second option falls under moral turpitude,” Ippolito tells MarketingDaily. “Essentially, the talent’s actions may not be a crime, but may hinder the campaign value or disparage the brand.”

Bodyarmor and Powerade reside within the Bodyarmor Sports Nutrition unit of The Coca-Cola Co.