Gatorade’s Latest Campaign Challenges Its Main Rival: Water

Springtime has launched its second campaign for Gatorade, following their Cannes Lions-winning 'Gatorade Match Saver'.

For the first time, Gatorade dares to showcase a real insight: their bottles are often refilled with water. Many people only drink water when exercising, and this spot invites viewers to rethink how they hydrate during sports. 

Directed by Nicolás Pérez Veiga and produced by Primo, the ad was shot on 35mm film and features original music by Kiss, 'I Was Made for Lovin' You'. 

As the iconic song plays, various individuals are shown drinking water during their running, yoga, spinning, dance, cycling, gym, functional training, and futvoley sessions. As the intensity builds, their performance declines, with some athletes screaming in sync with the song’s lyrics, unable to perform at their best. Under the tagline, "We won't tell you not to drink water. Your body might," Gatorade Zero Sugar presents a solution with electrolytes and vitamins B3 and B6 to support better hydration and metabolism for optimal performance. 

“Gatorade Zero Sugar is a crucial product within PepsiCo’s portfolio, targeting fitness exercisers. When we heard this idea, we knew it was perfect for demonstrating how this product can significantly improve both physical and mental performance,” stated Martín Watson, senior director of functional beverages for PepsiCo Latam.

“We chose to film on 35mm because we wanted to portray the story in a raw, gritty, and realistic way. The film gives it a timeless, rugged beauty that’s hard to describe but connects with the audience in a less overtly commercial way,” explained Nicolás Pérez Veiga, director of Primo. 

“The brief made it clear that water is Gatorade’s main competitor. Not just because the brief said so, but because every day, we see people training with water bottles—even Gatorade bottles refilled with water—in gyms. The challenge wasn’t to go against water, but to show in a powerful and humorous way that sometimes your body needs something else,” said Patricio Elfi and Santiago Luna Lupo, co-founders and CCOs of Springtime. 

The campaign starts in Brazil and will expand across the LATAM region. In addition to 60s, 30s, 15s, and 6s spots, the campaign includes OOH and digital assets.