Iowa Hawkeyes’ point guard Caitlin Clark is one of the more recognizable athletes across sports. And that’s led to many name, image, and likeness deals for her, including a new one with Gatorade. That produced a “You Can Too” commercial that was unveiled Tuesday:
As per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Clark is only the fourth collegiate athlete and second women’s college basketball player to sign a Gatorade deal (following UConn’s Paige Bueckers). Here’s more from Philippou on what this one means:
“I am fortunate to be part of the first generation of collegiate athletes who are not only able to contribute to the legacy of our colleges and universities, but also start to build something of our own off the court,” Clark told ESPN. “Working with a brand like Gatorade is really a dream come true, but NIL is about more than just endorsements and partnerships. Athletes are learning about entire industries, how they work, and how we might be able to pursue other passions while we are playing and after our playing careers are over.”
To launch the Gatorade deal, Clark appears in a new video titled “You Can Too” aiming to inspire the next generation of basketball players, and the company will donate $22,000 (a reference to Clark’s jersey number) to the Caitlin Clark Foundation.
“At Gatorade, we take pride in our elite athlete roster and have had the privilege of fueling some of the greatest athletes of all time,” global head of sports marketing at Gatorade Jeff Kearney said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be a part of Caitlin’s journey to greatness early in her career and look forward to building upon the incredible impact she’s already made.”
“Gatorade fuels some of the greatest athletes in sport, as well as ones I have looked up to growing up, so it’s a dream come true joining the Gatorade Family,” Clark added. “Gatorade also shares my competitive mindset of wanting to be the best, and that commitment to excellence extends beyond the court, too. We share similar values in terms of wanting to lead and inspire the next generation, so I’m excited to leverage our collective platforms to make an impact.”
It’s certainly notable to see Gatorade continue to expand its presence in college sports, particularly in women’s college basketball. And there’s definitely a growing audience for that sport, and Clark’s success with the Hawkeyes has been part of that. We’ll see what’s ahead for Clark, but there’s definitely some logic to Gatorade joining the ranks of companies (also including State Farm, Nike and Hy-Vee) already working with her. And this ad helps illustrate some of what Gatorade is going for in their current marketing efforts.
[ESPN]
