Gatorade Goes Animated With Tiger

Gatorade has always been good for a couple impressive commercials every year. From the days of wanting to “be like Mike” to now they’ve been able to keep the attention of the consumer while staying true to their strategy. This is why I was shocked to see an animated commercial from Gatorade. They’ve used CG in the past but, to my recollection, they’ve never gone fully animated.

In the commercial Little Tiger is coached by a wise talking bear. After making a bad shot, the bear gives him some words of wisdom, Little Tiger drinks from a fountain of Gatorade Focus and he’s able to pull off his patented ball-juggling trick.



The strategy is solid, easy to understand and conveyed well by the spot and because of that I like the commercial. You get it. Gatorade keeps you hydrated, which helps you focus and perform better.

The part that confuses me a little is the decision to go with full animation. I have nothing against animation. I think it can be used very effectively. I just think it is an odd choice for Gatorade to use for its Tiger Focus brand. Especially since they didn’t use the animation to do anything extraordinary. There are talking animals, but that can be done with CG or even animatronics.
One reason I can think to use animation is because they couldn’t get Tiger for a shoot. With his knee injury and rehab, were they not able to get him? Seems like a stretch, but maybe that was the reason to go with animation this time.

Either way it’s an interesting commercial that speaks to the consumer in an effective manner.

What do you think about this commercial? What do you think the reason for choosing animation was?

-The Ultimate Account Guy

Just for kicks “Be Like Mike”

Gatorade's Quick Strike

Tiger Woods put a stamp on his comeback recently with a Tiger like come from behind victory. Gatorade wasted no time capitalizing on this latest fist pumping moment. They did exactly what they should have done. They grabbed the ultimate snapshot of the round, the ubiquitous fist pump, placed a simple, attention grabbing line of copy, and boom, they have an attention grabbing print ad.

As an account guy, I like to see companies and agencies being light on their feet and grabbing a moment in time that could have easily slipped by. Tiger has done this dozens of times. Sinking an important put, throwing out the fist pump and giving Stevie a hug is nothing new to Tiger. Except this time, it comes on the heels of a reconstructed knee and two weeks before one of the most anticipated Masters tournaments in recent history.

I tip my hat to Gatorade and their agency for being quick and resourceful.

What do you think about this ad? Does it do a Gatorade justice?

-The Ultimate Account Guy

Gatorade’s Double Life

Gatorade is in a unique position. On one hand, athletes all over the world are using Gatorade as part of a nutrition plan, to fuel and recover before and after workouts. On the other hand, from the days of wanting to be like Mike, kids and want to be athletes have also been drinking it. Some just like the taste. Others think it’s the edge they need to finally make their dreams of going pro come true.

Seeing as how the country has been taken over by a fitness craze the past handful of years, you would think that Gatorade would be dancing in the rain. Until you read the nutrition facts on the bottle and realize the amount of sugar in Gatorade. And you wondered why it tastes so good.


The sugar is fine if you are training for the Boston Marathon or if you are Kevin Garnett tearing through the NBA. But if you are Kevin “six-pack”, the sugar in Gatorade is a split rail on your train ride to fitness.

So, like any good business, Gatorade created a low calorie version of their product, called G2. They’ve expanded their product lineup to appeal to all athletes, professional and not so professional.

I found these two print ads in this week’s Sport Illustrated. They are laid out side by side in a double truck. Each layout is unique enough to stand out on its own but at the same time works seamlessly with the other as a combo.

The Kevin vs. Kevin setup appeals to both athlete and non-athlete at the same time. With Kevin Garnett standing intensely on the court in the NBA Finals on one side you get the sense of Gatorade being used at the peak of the sports world.



With Kevin “six pack” standing triumphantly outside of the pool after a workout, you get the sense of Gatorade being used at a more pedestrian, yet no less important aspect of life. It tells the guy down the street who is struggling to stick to his New Year resolution that it’s ok to drink the lower calorie Gatorade whether you are at the top your sport, or the top of your one-man swim team. Each “athlete” is using Gatorade as the spark they need to be the best they can.

What do you think about these layouts? Do they speak to both sets of “athletes”? Does showing the regular guy down the street make people want to drink Gatorade?

-The Ultimate Account Guy