Sports drink company BodyArmor takes on industry heavyweights Gatorade and Powerade with a new ad featuring a host of star athletes, created by production company Schema Media and director Brian Ford (it does not appear a creative agency was involved in the process).
The spot, entitled “This Is Now,” humorously delivers the message that sports, and sports drinks, have evolved over the years by transplanting today’s star athletes into bygone eras. So if you want to see Angels outfielder Mike Trout rock a ridiculous mullet, or Rockets guard James Harden with an afro, wearing short shorts and high socks, this is your best chance. Other athletes involved include Giants catcher Buster Posey, Skylar Diggins guard for the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who breaks out a handlebar mustache for the ad.
“That handlebar mustache on Andrew Luck was an impromptu shave that he actually did himself,” BodyArmor vice president of marketing Michael Fedele told AdFreak. “Back then, many pro QBs were very flamboyant. They threw on the fur and hit Studio 54, and the next morning did a photo shoot by the pool.”
The brand’s message, that other sports drinks are outdated and it’s time to make the switch, comes across clearly in the ad, and the combination of celebrity and humor make it memorable. BodyArmor faces an uphill battle going against the established brands in the category, but Fedele thinks the brand is up to the challenge, telling AdFreak, “Young athletes, and the moms and dads who shop for them, compare BodyArmor to what’s out there, and the facts speak for themselves. A 15-year-old athlete today doesn’t want to drink the same sports drink their grandfather did.”