What's G?

Gatorade has been running these spots for a while now.

If you haven't caught on, it's for their new logo and new product names.

They're using these commercials and some others to "create conversation" around the new look.

Personally, I think they're trying a little too hard. It's not like the liquid inside the packaging changed all that much, if at all. And for that matter, neither did the bottle shape from what I've seen at retail.

Same goes for the rest of the packaging changes Pepsi Co. made. I get it, and I do think that if they're about being young, evolving their packaging is a good idea. Especially when their number one competitor has held on to a very classic look.

However, I'd rather have seen Pepsi Co. put a few hundred million dollars into figuring out how to distribute their full product line in packaging that has a lower impact on the environment than putting a new coat of paint on everything. But that's just me.

Anyway, what do you think about the Gatorade work?

Are they the right way to let people know they've got a new wrapper around their bottles?

Or is it just hubris?

Comments

[Jason]

I think they missed the mark. I've always enjoyed a good ad as much as any show I'm watching, but with this, I was left wondering what the hell they were talking about. Which can be good, except, I didn't care enough to try to figure out what they were talking about. Of course, that's just me, but I'm the type of person that has to go to google or imdb if I can't remember where I've seen that face before. I had to rewatch a Budweiser commercial 10 times b/c I couldn't quite place the voiceover (George Clooney). That kinda thing drives me crazy. Didn't care on this one. . .

[David E. Bowman]

Seems silly to me to spend that much money to get people to engage in conversations about your new logo. Most of the conversations I heard following the commercials went something like this... "WTF is G? Oh, Gatorade. Huh?" I am all for freshening up a brand now and then, but honestly... besides the agency who came up with this, who benefits? People are so busy, who has time to ponder and converse "G"? Well, besides us doing it right now :) I need another cup of coffee. If Gatorade wants to make big bucks, create a healthy coffee for me to drink gallons of daily. Use Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, and Paul Isakson as your pitch men. G Coffee - Is IT in you?

[michael maurillo]

This is all a bit of confusing to me. And like the others posting/reading here, i think we can all identify the key message that an advertiser is trying to deliver a little quicker than the average consumer as a result of what we do in our jobs everyday... and yet, i'm still a bit confused.

So G is the new Gatorade, but Gatorade is still Gatorade? When i went to gatorade.com (note, i searched "what is g?" and didn't get any type of official or promotional Gatorade site), the explanation wasn't any more apparent. What I gathered, though, is that G is the new name of the original Gatorade formulation. They now have about 6 different lines that all fall under Gatorade. So I guess they decided it was kinda weird to have a line called Gatorade Gatorade.
The commercial doesn't tell me any of that, and to be honest it feels a bit arrogant in its tone. Turned me off.

[Nguyen Duong]

a few thoughts:
i wonder if this was just a teaser spot on steroids and we'll find out more about "G" at the superbowl?

it was trying way too hard to appeal to the jock-sniffers out there and taking themselves way to seriously. so what if you got the cool kid to hang out w/you and a new haircut? what's in it for me? the athletes didn't do or say anything that related to me or had me care to listen. the spot was a total stroke job.

i think PepsiCo is putting $$$ into light-weighting their PET bottles. Aquafina methinks. not sure about Gatorade tho.

[Bill Saffold]

I think they should have led with the "bolt" instead of this new "G". The G doesn't have the equity - especially considering it's new font for the brand - while the "bolt" is classic and iconic.

I do like the fact they are evolving away from the dumb names though. To an athlete it is more "inspirational" to drink "No Excuses" than "Rain."

In face, these same thoughts i have were summed up nicely on this website i read today!
http://www.graphicology.com/blog/2009/1/14/228-new-gatorade-g-campaign.html

[Nguyen Duong]

@Bill: agree w/you re: Bold vs the new G. however, i'm not sold on the new "inspirational" names tho. total rip off of the vitamin water names (e.g. focus, endurance, balance, etc.) i bold approach would've been to give them names according to their colors? "hey honey, can you pick me up a the yellow gatorade at the market pls?"

[Jomo]

I was quite surprised by the entire Pepsi/Dew/Gatorade identity rebrand. I thought it was a joke when I first saw the designs. Must have been an executive's grandson that just completed a community college design course. Haha!

[Age]

Great post and comments. I have been thinking about this ad too recently. What I find interesting is that it feels like they've completely ghettofied the drink even right down to having Lil Wayne narrate. I know white middle class kids have been buying into that culture for a few decades now, but damn, this is just so obvious. Unless I'm wrong... I live in Australia so we get little to no Gatorade adverts here.

[Uwe Gutschow]

wait, this is a TV spot? I thought it was a youtube clip... ;)

[Willem van der Horst]

I've never been in the presence of a G spot and so bored at the same time in my whole life!

[sean]

This isn't helping their cause:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUCnY8xFpCQ

[Marko]

I'm surprised that no one has yet answered the question, however rhetorical it may be. G is Gangster, that's why they have Lil' Wayne narrating, and that's why the ad is so heavily African American focused. Hence it should also be in this context that the success or failure of this ad is measured. In my opinion, equating Gatorade with "What is Gangster" is an okay one-off, but doesn't work as the core of a rebranding effort -- as witnessed by the seeming lack of familiarity people have with this in-joke / pun.