Gatorade announced its renewed partnership of one of football’s biggest stars, Lionel Messi, and addition of rising star James Rodriguez. Both athletes will be featured in the new Gatorade campaign that includes a 30-second ad entitled “Fuel the Fire” and 90-second digital spot, “The Formula to Unleash,” with partners clubs Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC. The campaign begins today with “The Formula to Unleash” running simultaneously on digital platforms in several Latin American countries, Western Europe, Asia, Mexico and the United States.
The only four-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, awarded to the best player in the world, Messi has already notched his spot as one of the greatest football players ever. The all-time leading goal scorer in FC Barcelona and La Liga history, Messi continues to pile up the awards at the club and national level, having led FC Barcelona to six league titles and three UEFA Champions League crowns, and fresh off helping Argentina reach the final of the 2014 World Cup, where he won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.
“I have seen first-hand Gatorade’s dedication to improving performance through sports science research and am excited to build on the existing relationship between FC Barcelona and Gatorade,” Messi said. “Gatorade provides me a great opportunity to work with the world’s leading scientists who can help me gain a competitive edge and play at my best.”
Rodriguez’s emergence on the national stage began when he captained Colombia’s U-20 national team on their way to winning the 2011 Toulon Tournament. That same year, he again led his country’s U-20 squad as captain during the FIFA U-20 World Cup. By age 20, Rodriguez became a regular on the senior team and was one of the premier players during last summer’s 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot as the tournament top goal scorer and was named as one of the 11 on the tournament’s All-Star Team.
“I am looking forward to partnering with Gatorade, learning more about their innovative products and having the opportunity to work with the world-renowned Gatorade Sports Science Institute,” Rodriguez said. “I am always looking to improve my game through training on and off the field, and I’m eager to have the chance to work with leading sports nutrition scientists to reach my body’s peak performance potential.”
y signing two of the sport’s most prolific athletes, Gatorade continues to expand its growing reach in global football. It is currently the official sports fuel partner for more than 55 football clubs across 12 countries worldwide, including the Brazilian men’s national team, prominent clubs Arsenal F.C., Liverpool F.C. and FC Barcelona as well as newly signed Juventus F.C. of Italy’s Serie A.
“By partnering with Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez, we are further expanding our reach in global football and continue building upon our scientific expertise as the world’s leading sports fuel company,” said general manager and senior vice president, Gatorade, Brett O’Brien. “At Gatorade, we work with the world’s most elite athletes, continuing our partnership with Lionel and adding James to our roster is a natural fit. We want to do everything we can to help them and all our global football athletes perform at their best year-round for their clubs.”
To coincide with signing Messi and Rodriguez, Gatorade unveiled a new campaign that includes some of the biggest names in global football. The campaign will further deepen the brand’s involvement in football and establish a clear identity within the sport by creating an inextricable link between Gatorade and the ‘beautiful game.’ It will showcase the vital and unique role Gatorade plays in fueling footballers utilizing stars from top clubs in the Barclays Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
The first component is a digital commercial titled “The Formula to Unleash,” launched today, May 4 and takes the viewer on a journey starting with beautiful on-field performances and zooming into various club crests to enter a metaphorical world showcasing the role Gatorade plays to fuel players from within and help them achieve peak performance.
Additionally, Gatorade will debut a broadcast commercial titled “Fuel the Fire” that debuts on May 11. The story is told through a live action sequence which shifts between Messi, Rodriguez and an amateur athlete. Similar to “Formula to Unleash,” the commercial leverages an animated metaphor in which the players’ internal “engines” are fueled by Gatorade. The engine metaphor and live action cuts serve to showcase the role Gatorade plays to fuel both professional and amateur footballers worldwide from the dirt pitches, to practice fields to Camp Nou.
