- Gatorade has teamed with rapper Kendrick Lamar for a brand new campaign titled “Lose More. Win More.,” per details shared with Marketing Dive. The campaign is the latest expression of its “Is It In You?” platform.
- A 60-second spot contains a voice over from Lamar and is supposed to honor the exertions and sacrifice of great athletes. The campaign spotlights Gatorade’s roster of athletes including Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Jayson Tatum, Luka Dončić and Shedeur Sanders.
- The spot will debut throughout the NBA Playoffs April 19 and run across tentpole sporting events this summer. The campaign can be amplified by a further 30-second spot together with bespoke movies and out-of-home takeovers within the local markets of Gatorade’s athlete roster.
PepsiCo’s Gatorade is paying tribute to the relentless effort it takes for athletes to achieve icon status for its latest campaign. The effort is the latest iteration of its “Is It In You?” platform that was originally utilized in the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s and revived in 2024 as part of a nostalgic effort that featured a tie-up with longtime brand partner Michael Jordan. The move also arrives because the brand enters its sixtieth yr.
At the middle of the brand new campaign is a 60-second spot narrated by Lamar, an artist who has won 22 Grammy Awards, and soundtracked by his song “Peekaboo.” The spot begins with the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach getting doused with Gatorade after the team’s recent Super Bowl win — a game day tradition — before cameos appear of Clark, Wilson, Tatum, Dončić and Sanders. Lamar is heard asking, “How much are you willing to lose?” before telling the story of Gatorade’s creation in 1965 for the Florida Gators.
Closing out the spot, Lamar says, “So how much sweat are you willing to lose? That’s how you realize how much you’re willing to win.”
The spot also features a cameo from Lamar, making the star the primary musician to look in creative for the brand. Gatorade’s partnership with the rapper arrives on the heels of his highly anticipated appearance within the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, which now stands as the most-watched halftime show performance of all time. The move, which also comes as Lamar kicks off his Grand National Tour, is yet one more example of how brands are linking themselves to culture in an try and grow loyalty amongst key audiences.
The campaign, created with TBWA/Chiat/Day LA, Gatorade’s creative agency of record, may also include a 30-second spot that can debut next week. Additional video creative and OOH takeovers within the local markets of the brand’s athlete roster round out the trouble.
The decision by Gatorade to center its creative around well-known athletes contrasts with the strategy of competitor Powerade. The Coca-Cola-owned brand recently launched the latest extension of its “It Takes More” campaign with a 30-second spot that didn’t highlight a real-life athlete, a selection that falls consistent with its recent decision to message more around its product. Other brands have marketed around what it takes to be a successful athlete, including Adidas and Nike, the latter of which has caught attention for its particularly gritty ads.
PepsiCo saw Q4 2024 organic revenue increase 2.1% yr over yr, per an earnings statement. Full yr organic revenue increased 2% in comparison with 9.5% organic revenue growth the yr prior. Gatorade was named in prepared remarks for gaining market share in 2024.
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