Powerade plots World Cup-led global drive
Powerade, the Coca-Cola-owned sports drink, is running its first global campaign to coincide with its deal with Fifa to be the official hydration partner of the World Cup.
Many of the event’s main sponsors have opted to build global marketing initiatives on the back of the tournament.
Powerade is rolling out a campaign themed around “Keep Playing” that will run across 20 markets. During the World Cup, Powerade will be pitch side at every game and advertising will direct fans to its YouTube microsite, which will also feature on TV, outdoor, press and on the drinks bottles themselves.
Keep Playing will use new technology called Digital Film, which SapientNitro says is “a realm where real life, animation and actions of the viewer all guide the course of the story.”
Mary Merrill, global category director of sports for still beverages at The Coca-Cola Company, says the World Cup has provided it with the confidence to move from local marketing to global marketing permanently.
“This campaign is the first building block of our new global vision for Powerade, helping sports fans to interact with the brand on a worldwide basis. Fans will see the brand all over the World Cup and will want to learn more through the digital and other marketing mechanisms we have adopted for this campaign.
“Previous regional campaigns have worked well, but we feel that the exposure we will have over the month long tournament will help us become more consistent in the long term.”
Sabina Heuss Pace, group leader for marketing communication and research at Fifa, adds: “The universal popularity and appeal of football makes it a common denominator for everyone irrespective of gender, age, race and social standing. As a result, the FIFA World Cup represents one of the most effective global marketing platforms which offers sponsors unmatched opportunities for reaching out to the consumer.”
