Gatorade Ushers in a New Age of Football by Expanding its Roster with Emerging NFL Talent and First Female Flag Football Athlete

The brand is highlighting trailblazers on and off the field, headlined by the newest football stars joining its elite athlete roster – Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua and Diana Flores – and a capsule collab with fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk

CHICAGO, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gatorade, the world's most superior sports drink, has spent nearly 60 years fueling the sport of football on and off the field. As the NFL kicks off another monumental year, Gatorade is continuing to help shape the game. From the rise of women's impact on the sport and the growing spotlight on flag football, to the new era of athlete individualism, football is changing – and Gatorade is using its latest campaign, "You Know We Got 'IT'", to help usher in that change on the heels of the brand's revival of its iconic tagline "Is It In You?."

"Gatorade was born on the football field, and we're proud to continue fueling the next generation of trailblazers who are charting an exciting and inclusive future for the sport," said Anuj Bhasin, Chief Brand Officer at Gatorade. "We know that every athlete has it in them to achieve greatness, and as a leading sports brand we want to help inspire all athletes to believe that they have 'IT'."

Signing the Next Generation of Football Greats to the Gatorade Roster

Gatorade is expanding its elite roster with athletes who are shaping the future of the sport. This includes Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua – the latest additions to the brand's notable roster of NFL athletes. The brand has also signed world champion flag football quarterback and Gatorade Women's Advisory Board member Diana Flores, the first flag football athlete to join the Gatorade family.

Celebrating Inclusivity in Football with a Gatorade x Kristin Juszczyk Drop

Earlier this year, Kristin Juszczyk took the internet by storm when her gameday designs caught the attention of sports fans everywhere. Now, Gatorade is teaming up with the fashion designer for a limited-edition Drop celebrating inclusivity in football.

The Drop merges Gatorade's iconic heritage of fueling athletes since 1965 and Kristin's signature patchwork style, with a nod to flag football in the design. It features two capsules with a few essentials for athletes to get in the game: the Gatorade x Kristin Juszczyk Bag Capsule, inclusive of a custom duffle bag, Gatorade sideline towel and Gx bottle and the Gatorade x Kristin Juszczyk Bottle Capsule, including a custom Gx towel and Gx bottle. The capsules will be available exclusively via Gatorade iD on Gatorade.com on Thursday, September 12 at 10am ET.

"Growing up, I always had a Gatorade in my hand, so to now be collaborating with the brand on a Gatorade iD Drop is incredible," said fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk. "This collection marries the worlds of fashion and sports – both of which are so meaningful to my own life, being a designer and a fan. I'm proud that this collaboration celebrates inclusivity in sport and hope it inspires even more people to get in the game."

Expanding the Playing Field with Gatorade's Equity in Sports Initiative

As part of Gatorade's Equity in Sports initiative, this summer Gatorade has committed to investing more than $600,000 to provide young athletes across the country with more access to sport, with a focus on female athletes in flag football. Gatorade's investment in flag football includes donating a portion of proceeds from Gatorade items purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods – up to $500,000 – to The DICK'S Foundation's Sports Matter program and providing grants to nearly a dozen flag football organizations across the country like Fierce Beauties and Arizona Youth Flag.

Rallying Football Players Everywhere with a New Campaign Film

Just in time for NFL kickoff on September 5, Gatorade is launching a new campaign – "You Know We Got 'IT'", an extension of the brand's "Is It In You?" revival from earlier this year. The campaign debuts with a film that reminds athletes of all levels that the spark to achieve comes from within. The film is narrated by Lamar Jackson and features a variety of athletes from Gatorade's elite football roster – including Josh Allen, Myles Garrett, Justin Jefferson, Shedeur Sanders, Aidan Hutchinson, George Kittle, DK Metcalf, Diana Flores, Trevor Lawerence, Puka Nauca, Tua Tagovailoa and Nick Singleton – creating a new locker room anthem set to inspire the next generation of athletes to achieve their goals.

"This campaign is all about the idea that 'IT' is an internal mindset that drives you to be your best, which rings true for me," said Lamar Jackson, two-time MVP and Gatorade athlete. "Becoming an official Gatorade athlete and debuting my first campaign is surreal. I'm proud to be working with a brand that's championing the future of football, and I'm hyped for athletes everywhere to think about how their 'IT' can help them lock in and be great."

About The Gatorade Portfolio 

The Gatorade Portfolio, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP), is a connected performance and wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers. Bringing together Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Evolve and Muscle Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of brands is built on Gatorade's 59-year history of studying athletes and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy, and all-day nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For more information and a full list of product offerings, please visit www.gatorade.com.

About PepsiCo   

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

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SOURCE The Gatorade Company