The Brief

Gatorade is the world’s number one sports drink that replenishes the fluids you lose when you sweat while training or working out. Initially, the client asked the agency to create a shirt design to be in sponsored training camps that will effectively communicate their global message, “Win From Within”. But instead of designing just a shirt, our strategy is to make people proud of their own sweat, by making aspiring athletes believe that however ordinary they are, they too can become professional athlete and win from within.

Creative Execution

There is no better group to try these shirts with than this small community in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, home to many street football players. Football may not be the number one sport in the Philippines, but to the youth of this community, it definitely is. The sport is not just a game to them; it is their means to secure a better future for themselves. And with the superstar shirts, they are constantly reminded to work hard at their chosen sport to achieve their goals. No other brand celebrates the importance of hard work more than Gatorade.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We wanted to make average players feel like they can win from within like superstars. Inspired by this vision, we took a literal interpretation to the brief and created specially designed shirts that made the aspiring athletes really win from “within” – within their shirt that is. The shirts were designed to look like regular football jerseys in the colors of existing world cup teams. As the players go through their rigorous training and scrimmages, the shirts gradually revealed the names and jersey numbers of acclaimed football players, leaving them surprised that their hard work could help them become superstars.

Results

When the players’ sweat revealed the shirts’ names and numbers, they were surprised to see the product of their hard work. Aside from achieving the desired emotional reactions, key performance indicators also showed the effectiveness of the effort. Buzz about the brand rose a good 11 points in just one quarter versus the previous year and remains the market’s top of mind brand, rising seven points to 90.8. And it remains dominant in the category with an increased volume share to 92%, making them the reigning and leading brand of sports drinks in the country, and of course, the world.