Powerade 'powers through' latest campaign from Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Everyone has heard dream crushing calls of “you can’t do it” at some point in their lives. Some people give up and move on. Some keep trying. Others defy the odds and power through.
“Power Through” is the latest campaign from PoweradeUS and Wieden+Kennedy Portland, and it counteracts the doubters and haters by showing young athletes powering through their fears and shortcomings. It encourages athletes to never give up, to persevere no matter the odds and to use others’ negativity as a motivator.
One of the 30-second spots shows a young woman being told by the trainer that her season is over, then cut to her with a knee brace on pushing up weights. Another has a kid being told by his coach that only a handful of athletes go pro while he continues to train. In a different spot, a short basketballer is kidded about his height, then is shown doing jumping exercises to improve his skill.
A particularly powerful spot features a coach trying to talk a girl out of playing football, with the footage showing the girl training hard against a tackling dummy on a muddy field, determination in her eyes. What gives this spot, and the other six in the campaign, extra authenticity is the fact that they are using actual athletes and not actors. The girl in the football spot is Gabby Ferrel, a defensive lineman for the NY Sharks of the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL).
The Powerade spots are currently live on the company’s YouTube channel and on social media channels.