Gatorade launched its G campaign across the US and now into Canada.
Gatorade Canada has drafted Canadian athletes for its national “G” campaign in support of the sports drink’s new brand identity.
The PepsiCo Canada brand identified athletes and moments in sports that represent what it means to be “G” in a Gatorade context—golden, gutsy and glorious—said Dale Hooper, vice-president of marketing for Gatorade in Canada.
“For us, G represents the heart, hustle and soul of athleticism and we want this to become a badge of pride for any Canadian who sweats, no matter where they’re active,” he said.
The Canadian athletes appearing in the campaign include: UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre, hockey legend Gordie Howe, women’s hockey player Cassie Campbell, wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc, ultra marathon runner Ray Zahab, and high school basketball player Bradd Arseneau—survivor of the January 2008 bus crash that killed seven teammates in Bathurst, N.B.
When I first saw the US ads back last fall, I didn’t know who or what G was. All I saw were a bunch of atheletes with a voice over. See for yourself below:
What is strange for the Canadian version is that the letter G is not really synonymous with Gatorade. Furthermore, with the exception of Gordie Howe and perhaps George St-Pierre, no athlete is recognizable.
As soon as I read this article, I thought of Martin Crane’s quote from the show Frasier, when both Frasier and Niles wanted to buy over a restaurant.
Frasier and Niles wanted the name to be inviting and welcoming but be difficult to pronounce, have no sign on the outside or any advertising and an unlisted phone number.
Martin wittingly replied “Well don’t stop there. Post some guards on the roof who can shoot people as they try to get in.”
This type of campaign would be suited in getting the attention of consumers to a new or unknown brand - not a market leader.
Responses to “G”
May 12th, 2009 at 12:59 am
I most definitely agree with Alex. I believe that Pepsi’s CEO Massimo d’Amore’s $1.2 billion-dollar effort to totally rebrand and rejuvenate sales is both absolutely necessary and effective.
Gatorade has been facing increased competition this year with the rapid growth of direct competitors such as Vitamin Water along with smaller niche players such as Fuze and other sports drink eating away its market share. Moreover, the recent recession where discretionary income has plummeted naturally led to decrease in consumption of “luxury goods” such as Gatorade, as athletes and others settled for the conventional - and free - filtered water.
With this, the reiteration that Gatorade (or ‘G’) is not just a drink, but a crucial aspect (heart, hustle and soul) of sports will most definitely address the issue of Gatorade’s main target (athletes) from switching to competitors. These commercials have tremendous appeal to these athletes and as Alex mentioned above, even if they are only able to relate to one or two of the athletes in the ad.
May 11th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I think that this campaign is very effective. Gatorade is undergoing a complete rebranding and overhaul. Original Gatorade is now being called Gatorade G. When consumers see it on the shelves, a good question may be, “What’s G?”
What is great about these ads is that since they feature so many athletes, there are more chances to draw connections with viewers. It is unlikely that a viewer would recognize every athlete in the ads, I certainly did not. So while you and I may only recognize GSP and Gordie Howe, someone who follows the paralympics will definitely know Chantal Petitclerc. As soon as someone is recognized, the viewer can draw an association between the athlete and Gatorade.
As a coming out party for Gatorade under its new image, I think these ads get the attention of unfamiliar customers, and cement Gatorade’s status as a market leader.
Gatorade is also not only relying on Canadian athletes for the Canadian market. In the Canadian versions of the ads (the one above is American), the Canadian athletes are joined by other athletes such as Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Usain Bolt, and Tiger Woods, who all have instant international appeal as some of the most marketable athletes on the planet.