Gatorade
Ready To Play Anything
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Situation: In March of 2020, our team was deep into development for Gatorade’s summer brand campaign with creative messaging aligned with the Olympics. When the Games were postponed due to the pandemic, our team was forced back to the drawing board.
Challenge: After our initial brief was scrapped, the new ask from our clients was simple – “What’s our statement to athletes during this crisis?”
Research: Through qualitative interviews and social listening, we set out to understand how teen athletes were feeling about and responding to the impact of the pandemic on their athletic journey. We found that, after the initial grieving for seasons lost and a period of adjustment to the “new normal,” athletes had begun adapting their training to make the best of the situation and finding creative ways to satisfy their competitive spirit.
The Spark: Athletes had been deprived of doing what they love and they were desperate to get back out there and play anything. No matter what sport it was, they wanted in. Because like any true athlete, they just want to play.
The Idea: Ready To Play Anything - We’d show that Gatorade’s pro roster athletes are ready to play anything. Any sport. Any competition. Whatever they’re allowed to play, they’re ready to play.
Comms Approach: In crafting the ecosystem of this campaign, we set out to achieve two key comms tasks.
Excite athletes about the possibility of competing once again by celebrating the collective desire of all athletes to play anything.
Activate athletes to get out and play, anything by giving athletes motivation and prompts to share proof that they’re ready to play, no matter the sport.
The Work: Key elements of the campaign included…
Hero film featuring five roster athletes shot entirely remote during the heart of lockdown.
Twitter teaser with banter between our featured athletes and a launch-day Promoted Trend.
A first-to-market Snapchat AR Lens creating a mock FaceTime between the user and our pros.
TikTok influencer partnerships with athlete-creators showing the creative ways they’re keeping their own competitive juices flowing.
Role: Co-wrote creative brief, led digital/social strategy and comms planning.
