Hope-Beckham, Inc. assisted The Coca-Cola Company in re-launching their sports drink, POWERade.  The re-launch was designed to be a flashy, one-day event in New York’s Union Square, which would receive a lot of media attention for the brand.  Fifty athlete/models were painted from head to toe in colorful designs and POWERade logos, designed by professional body painters, as they handed out samples of the new product to the crowd. 

 

Streetball players played basketball and skaters performed on a half pipe, representing both traditional and alternative sports.  The grand finale of the event was a strongmen contest that was color commentated by ESPN’s Stuart Scott and Rich Eisen.  The strongmen contest consisted of two 300-pound strongmen each pulling a 53-foot tractor-trailer in a race to the finish line.  The re-launch event also introduce POWERade Light, a new product that provides hydration and a light taste without additional carbohydrates.

 

Public Relations Challenges, Opportunity:

 

A challenge involved with the re-launch was maximizing consumer, business and trade coverage while also generating media coverage on national TV news stations and national newspapers and magazines.  Hope-Beckham, Inc. approached the re-launch with creativity, imagination and spirit while leaving the impression that POWERadeâ is the number one sports drink.  This event gave Hope-Beckham, Inc. the opportunity to promote a product that contains ingredients for hydration and energy with such vitamin as B3, B6 and B12.       

 

Research & Strategic Approach & Campaign Execution:

 

In order to make a huge impact on the sports drink industry, the POWERade re-launch event had to be a dynamic, one-of-a-kind event that would influence people to drink POWERade.  Hope-Beckham, Inc. organized, developed and executed the entire event from top to bottom including hiring talent, athletes/models and event logistics.  Hope-Beckham, Inc. wanted to do something unusual that would target people of all ages and of all interest.  

Public relations tools were necessary to initiate an effective program.  Hope-Beckham, Inc. decided that there would need to be a basic press kit of materials to promote the overall program to the media.  The press kit included a press release, a fact sheet, photos, background information on the history of body art, bios on the strongmen and the professional body painters and pitch letters to art, beverage, sports & fitness and fashion trade publications.

 

Along with targeting print publications, media drops were delivered to local New York radio and TV stations as well as financial and trade analysts such as Lehman Brothers, J.P. Morgan Securities, Deutsche Bank and Goldman, Sachs & Company.  Included in the media drops were press kits and soft pack coolers with samples of all the flavors of POWERade.  

 

Results:

 

The POWERade re-launch event left an enormous impression for a one-day event.  The re-launch received coverage on CNN, ESPN, Fox & Friends, The Weather Channel, AdWeek, SuperMarket News, Beverage Aisle, Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, Health Products Business and many other high profile media outlets.  In the opinion of The Coca-Cola Company, the event was a resounding success and many other brand events will be patterned after it.