• by Danielle Oster , June 27, 2024

Advertising for energy and sports drinks often focuses on elite athletes at the top of their game. But most people aren’t training for the Olympics, or waking before dawn for a lengthy workout with a professional trainer.

The recently rebranded Lucky Energy’s new campaign instead celebrates a different kind of athlete.

“While we admire and revere professional athletes [with reason], we can't forget about the billions of other sports enthusiasts whose names we don't know,  who aren't splashed on posters on our walls, who do it for the love of the game -- like the talent in our ad, Jonathan L Clark IV,” Lucky Energy CMO Hamid Saify said in a statement. He described Clark as a “triple threat” as a high school teacher, coach, and “world-class dunker,” that last item delivered a bit tongue-in-cheek.

The ad opens with black-and-white footage and messages like “Commitment does not rest” and “Dedication is a mindset,” parodying the style typical of anthemic ads celebrating the hard work of committed professional athletes. Then, it takes  a turn. Clark is among the everyday athletes in the ad shown giving less-than-stellar performances but keeping at it, anyway. He attempts a dunk, instead slamming the ball off the rim and taking a rough fall to the court. Elsewhere in the ad, everyday athletes belly-flop into a pool, doggie paddle, knock over hurdles, and crawl across a balance beam.

“Clark, along with athletes around the globe, stumbles, falls and needs the energy to get back up and keep going. It's a relatable sentiment that we feel hits with real people who may not always be the best, but they go hard," Saify said, describing the brand as a“”cleaner, inclusive energy drink company determined to power everyone's athletic efforts."

 “Athletes,” which was developed by the brand’s in-house creative team, will run across connected TV, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

The campaign follows the brand rebranding from Lucky F*ck energy back in energy. Its “Search At Your Own Risk” campaign followed shortly on the heels of Saify, formerly senior vice president, digital retail for Liquid Death, arriving as its marketing lead.