Gatorade Advertisement Evaluation

Organization's Background:

In 1965 many University of Florida football players suffered from dehydration. Doctors at UF created a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that unlike water kept the players hydrated (www.gatorade.com). This formula was proven successful when the Gators began to play hard throughout games while their opponents struggled in the last quarters. Gatorade was a success and by fall 1967 Stokely-Van Camp had secured rights and began marketing Gatorade nationwide.

In 1983, the Quaker Oats Co. purchased Stokely-Van Camp and it launched Gatorade from a sleepy little brand into superstardom (Kays, 1). Since 1983, Gatorade has enjoyed an unprecedented 20 percent annual sales growth rate, from about $100 million in 1983 to more than $2.2 billion in 2001. Pepsico purchased Quaker Oats in 2001, a move beverage industry analysts predict will eventually lead to an even greater share of the already 80% of the sports beverage market for Gatorade (Kays,1). The New York Times named Gatorade one of the 100 best brands of the 20th century--along with the beverage kings Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Budweiser (www.amanet.org).

Commercial Overview:

In 2005 Gatorade introduced a new formula, Gatorade Endurance. The commercial is titled Shattered. The commercial starts off during an intense soccer match where a player is running hard to get the ball and goes to slide and shatters in to concrete like pieces. Then there is an endurance runner who is running very hard and also crashes and breaks into pieces. The narrator begins "the longer your exercise the more severe your hydration needs become and that of cause you to fall apart. That's why there's new Gatorade Endurance formula, this unique 5 electrolyte formula puts back more of what your body looses during your most punishing activities." In the end of the commercial they show a football player drinking the Gatorade, going back to practice and maintaining high energy while others around him crumble and break. The commercial is approximately 30 seconds.

Organization's Suspected Marketing Strategy:

Gatorade has total command of the sports beverage market. Gatorade's entire brand identity is predicated on its connections with sports and the beverage's purported aid to active individuals (Rodwan, 34). Gatorade's suspected target markets for the Endurance Formula are active individuals between 18-30. These individuals are more likely to be associated with high endurance activities like marathons, half marathons, triathlons, and centuries.

In the "Shattered" commercial Gatorade is implying that if you use the Endurance Formula during excruciating activities that you will be able to maintain the high level of energy by being replenished with the 5-electolyte formula, you will have an edge over the others who do don't use the "special" Gatorade. A strength of the commercial it that Gatorade is so unique that they are able to communicate to a large audience about there sports drink. Moms will want their kids to try it and also active individuals that need that extra edge are attracted to commercial and they may be able to relate to how the dehydrated individuals feel. A weakness to this commercial is that it may make these endurance activities look unappealing to those who may have wanted to try them. If a women in her mid 20's decided that she wanted to run a marathon and then saw this commercial of a female runner just running along and then all of a sudden start to crumble and fall to pieces she may think well that could happen to me.

This commercial gives Gatorade the opportunity to get the message out that they support the sports industry and that they