Project Overview

When it comes to sports, the Gatorade brand is synonymous with hydration and sports performance. And when we think of sports icons, tennis player Serena Williams is among those at the very top of the list. Gatorade offers a unique platform for professional athletes to connect with aspiring athletes and fans. Much more than just an endorsement, athlete collaborations with Gatorade involve a hands-on design process, bringing their unique personalities to life so they can deliver an authentic message both through visual storytelling and heartfelt words of encouragement. As part of the Gatorade Fuel Tomorrow campaign, Serena wanted to deliver a message of hope and empower others to push through adversity. Together, Gatorade and Serena Williams combined forces to create a limited edition Gatorade Gx bottle with bold and colorful graphics that would inspire young athletes to dream big, overcome obstacles, and celebrate the power of resilience.

Organisation

PepsiCo Design & Innovation

Team

PepsiCo Design & Innovation

Project Brief

Sports are a catalyst to unlock potential both on and off the field. Gatorade has made a commitment to break down barriers and encourage young athletes so that nothing stops them from unlocking their full potential. The ‘Fuel Tomorrow’ campaign inspires athletes to dream big and power through obstacles. Role models that more closely mirror a young person are more effective at inspiring success. So when kids see someone that looks like them succeed, they are more likely to believe that they can too.

Working closely with Serena Williams, the Design Team translated this purpose into a visual language that would represent the freedom to dream big, the power to overcome obstacles, and the strength of resilience. Recently, Gatorade expanded into new territory by increasing flexibility with its brand assets. By dialing back overt Gatorade brand expression, it allows for a cleaner canvas and provides more opportunity for an athlete’s self-expression. Our design collaboration process uses personal messaging and visual storytelling to connect iconic athletes directly with consumers in a unique way that is much richer than traditional methods using just a photo or signature.

Project Innovation/Need

The inspiration behind this design and message was informed by studies that illustrate a number of factors that hinder participation in sports for young people, especially for minorities and lower income families. Black and Hispanic athletes engage in sports one to two years later than others, and a 30% participation gap is reported between children of lower and higher income families. The pandemic further exacerbated existing problems and created additional concerns about young athletes. Restrictions during the pandemic resulted in an alarming decline in sports participation and as they eased, many young athletes reported less interest in sports and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels of activity.

Design Challenge

After exploring three visual territories with the Design Team, Serena chose a design direction that delivers hope and celebrates the power of resilience. The bottles are available in the stunning colorways of bright pink, electric blue, bright yellow, and dark gray, and feature custom Serena-inspired illustrations. The illustrations on the bottle became known as “the pattern of resilience” because they showcase Serena’s iconic poses from past tennis competitions, including her baseline splits and her winning backhand. Gatorade Gx branding is still front and center with a clean white logo, and features the iconic orange Gatorade lid that includes an accent color (pink, blue, yellow, gray) reflective of the bottle design. The top of the water bottle reads, “You Got This,” which serves as a supportive rally cry for athletes, reminding them that they have what it takes to power through obstacles. Seeing the finished product, Serena said, “I like to think that when I see the bottle and I am down a set, I can look at it and say, ‘Yeah, I can do this!’”

Effectiveness

Overall, the Gatorade x Serena Gx bottle has been a successful project for Gatorade. This success is not measured solely by sales, but also by the innovative launch of a new brand platform that offered an iconic athlete a new means of personal expression while connecting with and inspiring fans in a unique way. Serena has already launched a second collaboration with Gatorade, and during her last professional tennis match at the U.S. Open in September 2022, the tennis legend chose to carry her limited edition Gatorade x Serena Gx water bottle onto the court — an ultimate sign of satisfaction from her and a proud moment for Gatorade.

When Dick’s Sporting Goods saw the Gatorade x Serena design, they were so enthusiastic about the concept that they expanded their retail program. We introduced three additional colorways of the custom pattern and Dick’s Sporting Goods offered all four options nationally. The one-of-a-kind Gx bottle was only available for purchase on gatorade.com and through Dick’s Sporting Goods, benefitting by being an exclusive retail partner. To date, Dick’s Sporting Goods has sold over 16,000 units delivering over $317,000 in sales. A strong continued partnership with the retailer is further evidence of their satisfaction.