Gatorade
Driving Brand Affinity in the Attention Economy
Turning a milestone cultural moment into a co-creation platform, and giving fans the pen.
— Summary
Mission
Transform a landmark cultural moment into a two-way engagement platform, converting passive brand loyalty into active participation.
The Win
Delivered a social co-creation campaign that expanded Gatorade's owned social audience, earned widespread industry recognition, and established a scalable model for direct-to-fan engagement.
— Challenge
Legacy in a Fragmented Landscape
Gatorade is a brand built on the authority of elite performance, but authority doesn't protect you from irrelevance. In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, the brand needed more than awareness around a legendary athlete's career milestone. It needed participation. A broadcast campaign would generate impressions. What it wouldn't generate was the two-way engagement that keeps a heritage brand culturally relevant to the next generation. The opportunity was to turn a moment of celebration into something fans could own.
— Execution
Giving Fans the Pen
I directed a community-driven co-creation campaign putting the brand's most loyal audience in the position of creative decision-maker. Fans voted on the final design for a limited-edition product series, integrating sweepstakes mechanics with viral sharing loops to maximize organic reach and turn individual participation into collective momentum.
Earned Media Strategy
Secured high-profile coverage including Mashable, positioning the campaign as a benchmark for how heritage brands win in the attention economy by leading with participation rather than broadcast.
1
Content Velocity
Deployed an access-driven content strategy using behind-the-scenes athlete footage to extend the campaign's narrative shelf life well beyond the milestone moment.
2
Putting the brand's most loyal audience in the position of creative decision-maker.
— Impact
Nostalgia into Action
The campaign proved that legacy brands don't have to choose between honoring their history and staying culturally relevant, the right creative strategy makes both possible at once.
Social Audience
Significantly expanded Gatorade's owned social audience through direct fan participation. Establishing a scalable model for direct-to-fan engagement.
Industry Creds
Earned widespread industry recognition for social media innovation. Validating the shift toward participatory marketing as a strategic model, not a one-time experiment.
Production Content Strategy
Leveraged existing production assets to deliver a high volume of digital content at a fraction of traditional media cost. Proving creative efficiency and cultural impact are not mutually exclusive.
— My Role
I conceived and pitched the campaign concept, designed the campaign, and defined the art direction. I designed and programmed the interactivity and animation directly, and directed the motion design.
Executed with a small, focused team including a motion designer and account leads.
