The brand is tapping its star-studded roster to inspire the next generation of athletes to focus on their inner "IT" as surprising new data from Gatorade shows external pressures are keeping Gen Z out of sports

CHICAGO, May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gatorade, the world's most superior sports drink, announced the return of its iconic tagline, "Is It In You?", with the largest campaign in the brand's history. The tagline, first cemented into sports culture in the 1990s and early 2000s with Michael Jordan dripping in Gatorade-colored sweat, reintroduces the concept of "IT" – the inner drive that fuels greatness – with a modern twist for a new generation of athletes. The original campaign, which helped fuel Gatorade's growth, returns as the brand maintains its strong position leading the sports drink category.

Being an athlete looks a lot different in 2024 than it did three decades ago, and it comes with a new set of pressures and distractions. Ultimately, that's keeping the next generation out of the game, according to new data from Gatorade that shows among Gen Z athletes who stopped playing sports, 53% cited it was due to external factors like social pressures and unrealistic expectations. As the leading sports drink brand, Gatorade is tapping its elite roster to help relaunch "Is It In You?" and rally athletes everywhere to silence the noise and focus on what's inside.

"As the brand that has been on the sidelines fueling athletes for decades, we're committed to not only helping them stay in the game but also celebrating their unique 'IT'," said Gatorade Chief Brand Officer, Anuj Bhasin. "The return of 'Is It In You?', our biggest campaign of all time, is about acknowledging how much the sports landscape has changed, while reminding athletes that one thing hasn't – the inner drive that fuels you – and that's what matters most."

"Is It In You?" makes its modern-day debut with a powerful 60-second film, "IT Hasn't Changed", to remind athletes everywhere that it's not about hype, clout, clicks or likes – it's inner drive that fuels greatness. The film is narrated by none other than Michael Jordan, Gatorade's longest standing athlete partner, and features the stories of how several of Gatorade's roster athletes – including Josh Allen, Caitlin Clark, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Jayson Tatum, A'ja Wilson, and DJ Lagway, Gatorade's 2023-2024 National Football Player of the Year – have overcome their own obstacles by tapping into their personal "IT".

"With 'Is It In You?' in the '90s, we inspired a generation," said Michael Jordan, Gatorade's longest standing athlete partner, six-time NBA Champion, five-time NBA MVP and 14-time NBA All-Star. "The return of 'Is It In You?' is another chapter in greatness for Gatorade, a brand that has fueled champions for decades and relentlessly serves athletes on and off the field."

The film made its debut during the NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4 last night, and the campaign will be unmissable throughout the summer, including a colored sweat takeover on social media from Gatorade's athlete roster, custom filters on Snapchat and Instagram for consumers to recreate the iconic colored sweat images, just like their favorite Gatorade athletes, billboards in cities across the country, and more. Fans should make sure to follow along on Gatorade's social media accounts in the coming weeks to see what else the brand is dropping to celebrate the return of "Is It In You?".

The campaign launch comes on the heels of a strong first half for the brand. Maintaining its position as the leading sports drink and continuing to expand the portfolio in new spaces such as equipment, beverage enhancers, enhanced water and more – Gatorade is the most complete portfolio of athletic solutions on the market today.

About The Gatorade Portfolio 
The Gatorade Portfolio, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), is a connected performance and wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers. Bringing together Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Evolve and Muscle Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of brands is built on Gatorade's 59-year history of studying athletes and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy, and all-day nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For more information and a full list of product offerings, please visit www.gatorade.com.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

Contact:
Mariela Wade
mariela.wade@fleishman.com

SOURCE The Gatorade Company