Despite the drastic decline of Powerade yet the popular rise of BodyArmor, Gatorade has not wavered. Gatorade continues to dominate the sports drink category representing teams, leagues and athletes around the globe.
Gatorade recently added another dominant player to its team: Zion Williamson. The No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick announced the news on his Instagram with the caption “Now Let’s Get To Work”.
Gatorade seems to be a natural fit for the most marketable player since Lebron James considering Gatorade is the official sponsor of the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans and Duke. In an interview with Forbes, Zion said “Gatorade has been in my life and in the locker room throughout my entire life. I’ve seen how important fueling and hydration are to my performance. I like the vision they have for the small things I can do to increase my performance. The smallest things can add up and become something great”.
Jeff Kearney, Gatorade’s global head of sports marketing said, “He is such a unique talent and his game is so multidimensional that it is hard to define him right now. We see that in our brand. Basketball is vital to our brand,” Kearney says. “It is an important part of our DNA.”
Gatorade endorses other NBA stars including Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Financial terms were not released but sources say that Zion is expected to net seven figures annually under this endorsement.
A possible “Be Like Zion” marketing campaign may be in the works down the road. This is a slam dunk endorsement for the PepsiCo brand.