As part of a DePaul College of Communication course, my team was tasked by Gatorade and its PR firm, FleishmanHillard, with developing a campaign to build awareness and credibility for Gatorade Recover protein products at both the local and national levels. The campaign, named “Fuel Your Passion,” established Gatorade Recover as a product that not only fuels your workout but also fuels who you are. "Fuel Your Passion"was highly successful, chosen as the winner of Professor Don Ingle's campaign class competition! 

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The campaign's main strategy was to connect Gatorade Recover products with the personal improvement of health and lifestyle. As a high school athlete explained, “I am taking these products to improve my speed and help my team more.” Athletes also agreed that helping their team by improving their fitness helped their own lifestyle choices and taught them values not exclusive to sports, including discipline, commitment and a stronger work ethic. These values were embodied by their team managers; By associating the values of the team manager with Gatorade Recover, our team designed a campaign to emotionally and authentically connect more with young athletes and inspire them to “Fuel Your Passion” and cement Gatorade Recover as the top protein product in the market.

 

We created a program that honored those who “fueled the passion” of our core athletes. We chose to recognize the unsung heroes of our young athletes, the team manager, by creating a “National Manager of the Year” award, ceremonies and launch events. Beginning with an announcement featuring standout team managers and Gatorade athletes like Dwyane Wade on Good Morning America, the program would recognize selfless student managers of several high school athletics teams across the country that regularly helped “fuel” their teams with their thankless and passionate work on the sidelines. Following a GMA appearance, voting would be held on Gatorade Recover’s website and on all social media platforms, with the winners featured in an awards banquet prior to the Espys.

 

In conjunction, a TikTok challenge and a “Fuel Your Workout” series of activations in different workout locations in the country. The TikTok challenge, featuring athletes like Shaquille O’Neal and his family showing America #HowDoYouShakeIt, would integrate the Gatorade Recover shakes and dance moves to bring awareness to the Manager of the Year Vote. The “Fuel Your Workout” would then increase that awareness of the voting and of Recover products by bringing the products to where they are needed: highly-viewed workout place like Muscle Beach in Santa Monica or the 606 in Chicago.