Pepsi-QTG breaks hockey-themed Gatorade campaign
By Adnews Staff
Pepsi-QTG Canada of Toronto began a new campaign yesterday for its Gatorade sports drink featuring hockey player Sidney Crosby. The campaign consists of a new television commercial, called “Sticks,” created by Downtown Partners of Toronto. In the ad, Crosby walks past a group of young people picking teams for a game of street hockey. He says to the group, “I’m in,” and throws his hockey stick into a pile of other players’ sticks. Other nearby people who see this run to throw their own sticks on the pile to join the game. As the ad continues, hundreds of people run to the pile to add their sticks, eventually creating a pile as tall as the nearby houses. The ad ends with Crosby stick-handling a ball down the street as a large group of players chase him. “We knew one of the best ways to connect with our target in Canada would be through hockey,” said Jeff Jackett, Gatorade marketing manager. “Sidney is a dynamic young hockey player who truly demonstrates what being an athlete is really about. We wanted a campaign that would bond Gatorade with Sidney and his passion for hockey to help generate excitement and raise Gatorade’s profile among hockey fans.” Thirty- and 60-second versions of the ad will air nationally in English and French, supported by a 60-second theatre ad, public relations activities and an online contest hosted at Gatorade.ca. Contest entrants can throw a virtual stick onto a pile for a chance to win one of 30 hockey sticks autographed by Crosby. The contest will run for a month, beginning May 1. Public relations will include a charity tournament called “The Gatorade Good Old Road Hockey Challenge,” which will take place on April 19th at Dundas Square in Toronto.