Powerade strives to go ‘From underestimated to undeniable’ wielding NBA star Ja Morant
Hot on the heels of Powerade’s rebrand and reformulation is its most ambitious campaign yet featuring NBA all-star Ja Morant.
Coca-Cola’s Powerade has today named NBA superstar Ja Morant as the face of its largest campaign to date. The work represents part of the brand’s plan to supersede its competitors in the sports drink category.
Morant is Powerade’s first athlete partner since NBA star Damian Lillard over five years ago. The Memphis Grizzlies point guard will star in Powerade’s $10 m national television campaign, ‘From underestimated to undeniable,’ which chronicles Morant‘s arduous journey from unknown high school recruit to league-wide star. In the ad, Morant goes to great lengths to achieve greatness, even practicing in thick rain.
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Morant’s story mirrors that of Powerade. According to the latest Nielsen data, Powerade currently ranks the third most popular sports drink in the US, while Bodyarmor ranks second and Gatorade first.
Earlier this year, Bodyarmor assumed all responsibility for the Powerade brand in North America with the unanimous goal of making Powerade #1. Last month, the brand revealed all-new packaging, complete with a new formula that boasts 50% more electrolytes versus Gatorade Thirst Quencher, per Powerade’s new hero spot.
“Powerade is a dynamic brand with a deep history, but it was time to evolve our game,“ says Bodyarmor’s chief marketing officer Matt Dzamba. “This campaign is part of a broader strategy from the brand that you’ll see continue to roll out in phases. The first phase was focused on reformulating our product ... The [second] is reinvesting in the brand, and we’re doing that through the launch of this campaign.“
Dzamba adds that Morant is the perfect face of Powerade “given he was underestimated early on in his career – being an unranked high-school recruit with only two college offers – and used that as motivation to become one of the best and most-feared players in the NBA today.“
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The campaign, handled by David New York and Ogilvy New York as part of WPP’s OpenX, officially launches today on Powerade..." , officially launches today on Powerade and Morant’s social channels. The first national TV spot will debut on TruTV on March 14 ahead of March Madness, with supportive TV spots airing across TNT, TBS and CBS. The spot will also stream on digital platforms including NCAA March Madness Live, Xbox, Roku and Twitch, with a supporting social media buy. Additionally, Powerade will run out-of-home media and Hispanic-targeted radio in key markets across the US.
“We’re pumped up for what lies ahead and there’s no doubt that Powerade will be a force to be reckoned with and a relentless competitor going forward, as showcased by [Morant] every time he takes the court.“
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