I had not heard about “G” until one of my students at DePaul presented the new branding campaign for Gatorade to the class as part of her Web 2.0 journal assignment. (Perhaps it’s because I haven’t been watching football this year, patiently waiting for spring training next month).
What’s G? It’s wonderfully shot. It’s decidedly hip. It’s broader in scope than anything the brand has attempted before. By that statement, I mean that suddenly Gatorade isn’t just for athletes anymore (“Is it in you?”), it’s now presented as the drink of choice for athletes – dead and alive, hip-hop artists, and comedians.
“What’s G?” is effectively stylized, presented with black and white commercials with Lil Wayne narrating the primary television spot. The intent, I suppose, is to get viewers to ask the question.
To me, this spot looks more like a brand essence film than a television commercial. It’s a teaser campaign in an age of Twitter when “teasers” seem less relevant. We can all access information too quickly to any degree of detail we choose. The consumer is in control, not the advertiser.
My search for “G” led me to YouTube, of course. Guess what? There’s more. Three additional videos: “No Excuses” and “Bring It” and “Shine On”. And they are really good videos. But there is absolutely NO MENTION OF GATORADE. Why? I know it’s you. The cat’s out of the bag. Do you really think I am going to wait for an “announcement” on that big billboard you unveil or that super expensive Super Bowl spot you will run?
These mini films are great and they are cleverly connected to the new product look and feel. In fact, if you can be bothered enough to go to the Gatorade website, the videos reflect the names of the products. It’s all very nicely executed creatively, but I think they have taken the “art” too far. This is marketing. We get. So help us make the connection because we might actually want to buy your product!
Here’s the website, on the house!
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