Powerade has been a sponsor of the NCAA for nearly every year since 2010. This year, though, that sponsorship, including the designation as the official sports drink of March Madness, is going to a sister brand instead.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a unique year in the world of sports, with both the Olympics and Paralympics and the World Cup, and as a result, some organizations have had to reassess their marketing plans. Among them is the Coca-Cola Company, which owns both BodyArmor and Powerade and is giving BodyArmor prime positioning courtside, according to the brand\u2019s VP of marketing, Sara Weaver.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really a part of the evolution for both brands,\u201d Weaver told Marketing Brew. \u201cBodyArmor is going to continue to lead traditional American sports\u2026and Powerade\u2019s commitment and focus is really on the sport of soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n
With BodyArmor now running the court, Weaver said the brand\u2019s March Madness plan is to leverage athlete partnerships to reinforce its relevance and the messaging that it\u2019s been pushing since its rebrand last year.<\/p>\n
Pros and college<\/h2>\n
BodyArmor is kicking off its March Madness media push on Selection Sunday, March 15, with a national TV ad and accompanying creative on digital, streaming, out-of-home, and social platforms.<\/p>\n
The campaign is a \u201crefreshed version\u201d of BodyArmor\u2019s \u201cChoose Better\u201d creative,\u201d Weaver said, which rolled out with the rebrand. That campaign showcases a combination of pro and everyday athletes and is designed to convey that BodyArmor is both a relatable brand and a \u201csuperior\u201d sports drink, CMO Tom Gargiulo told us when it debuted.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s March Madness creative takes the same approach. The spot features LSU senior guard and hip\u2011hop artist Flau\u2019jae Johnson, who led Powerade\u2019s March Madness campaign last year, alongside pros like New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, as well as everyday people working out.<\/p>\n