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By Kendra Barnett, Associate Editor

March 14, 2023 | 6 min read

The performance beverage brand aims to connect with fitness-minded adults in its new campaign, which is costing Coke a pretty penny.

BodyArmor, the sports beverage brand that was acquired by Coca-Cola in late 2021 for a record $5.6bn, today launched the biggest ad campaign in its history. Starring Jennifer Lopez, the new campaign promotes the brand’s low-calorie, no-sugar-added drink BodyArmor Lyte.

The campaign’s anthem film, ‘Choose More’, gives viewers an intimate look at the A-lister’s never-quit attitude and hardcore fitness routine, which sees her rise at dawn and drink a BodyArmor Lyte in preparation for an intense run on the beach. “Every day you get to choose: Do I want more? Can I grow stronger? Can I push myself harder? Can I get better?” the actress and pop star pines.

“BodyArmor is all about the idea that determination, hard work and passion pushes us to be our best and that’s a shared value that resonates with me and how I like to live my life,” Lopez said in a statement today. “The newest spot for BodyArmor Lyte exemplifies how the real work is behind the scenes when no one is watching.”

The brand sees J-Lo as an ideal representative of the brand. She’s served as a brand partner since 2021 – over the last year and a half, the actress has engaged in a handful of social media activations and out-of-home (OOH) marketing efforts for both BodyArmor SportWater and BodyArmor Lyte.

“Jennifer Lopez is a global icon that transcends cultures and generations alike,” Matt Dzamba, chief marketing officer at BodyArmor Sports Nutrition, said in a statement. “She has a tireless work ethic and intensity that we’re proud to showcase in our latest BodyArmor Lyte campaign and is one of the greatest of all time.” He added: “It’s been inspiring to see her in action firsthand and we’re looking forward to seeing where this campaign takes us.”

The campaign reunites Lopez with BodyArmor founder Mike Repole. The two put in a bid to purchase the New York Mets with J-Lo’s then-boyfriend Alex Rodriquez. They would end up losing out to billionaire Steve Cohen.

Coke looks for a sales boost from active adults

With the BodyArmor Lyte campaign, the sports beverage brand is targeting active adults. It hopes that Lopez will uniquely appeal to this segment.

J-Lo’s team helped to concept the campaign, which was brought to life by independent agency Radical Media. The anthem spot was directed by Dave Meyers, a commercial and music video filmmaker who’s worked with big brands like Corona, Mercedes and Doritos, as well as an impressive lineup of artists including Drake, SZA and Coldplay.

BodyArmor has faced somewhat of an uphill battle since its acquisition. Coca-Cola’s 2022 Q4 earnings, filed last month, indicated that while global revenue grew 7% in the quarter, BodyArmor sales slumped as Coke attempted to integrate the brand with its other sports beverage offering Powerade. “We need to get that double act working well,” said Coke’s chief exec James Quincey at the time. “We had some hiccups in 2022 as we brought those two things together, so we need to do better.”

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The new BodyArmor Lyte campaign “will strive to bolster the brand’s performance this year” following its performance slowdown, says Gary Hemphill, managing director of research at Beverage Marketing Corporation.

Sister brand Powerade hit a different kind of stumbling block this week when it pulled a set of recently launched ads featuring NBA star Ja Morant after the athlete posted a video of himself flashing a gun at a Denver nightclub. It had been touted as the brand’s biggest campaign to date.

Coke competitor PepsiCo saw sales surge 11% for the same period. Gatorade continues as the category leader. Meanwhile, its performance-focused sister brand Propel rolled out a new campaign starring actor and director Michael B Jordan last month.

Making the category even more competitive is the unexpected meteoric rise of Prime. The breakout brand, which has proven to be a favorite among teens, ran its first Super Bowl ad this year.

The new J-Lo campaign – which will run across TV, audio, digital, social and OOH, with a handful of events throughout the spring and summer – represents BodyArmor’s biggest-ever advertising investment in terms of ad spend, the brand says. Specific details of the buys have not been disclosed.

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