• by Erik Oster , February 28, 2024

After dipping its toes in the bottled water pool with an announcement of the release of Gatorade Water last September, the sports drink leader is launching Gatorade Water nationally and promoting the new product with a debut campaign it hopes can convince consumers it has something they can’t find on tap.

While the roots of the brand’s identity were in providing a superior hydration offering to athletes, the sports drink category has evolved to target wider audiences as it has matured, and Gatorade Water is positioning itself as a product for everyone.

 “Gatorade Water is an all-day hydration option for all active people, no matter who they are or how they move, from the leader in sports fuel that they know and trust,” Gatorade Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin said in a statement.

 A 15-second broadcast ad illustrates the approach, balancing showing Gatorade Water being enjoyed by people including someone dancing, and a longboarder cruising down a boardwalk at the beach, while touting its alkaline and electrolyte-infused selling points and introducing the “Always In Motion” tagline.

The brand describes the cross-platform campaign as “digital first,” with an emphasis on showing “disruptors” who demonstrate a fluidity of motion reminiscent of water, with a focus on a medium audiences are less likely to associate with the brand: dance. This includes partnerships with some world-renowned artists: French dancers and choreographers  Les Twins; Emmy-nominated choreographer and professional ballroom dancer Witney Carson; and choreographer and dancer Aliya Janell.

Les Twins -- who won American reality competition show “World Of Dance” in 2017 -- are depicted in campaign imagery in a shot showing them finishing each other’s dance moves in their trademark “Twins-Style” of hip hop.

 “Always In Motion” encompasses a digital OOH activation across online video, broadcast ad, and digital and social elements. Broadcast placement will include notable spring sports events, including March college basketball, the NBA regular season and playoffs, and the WNBA tip-off.