Gatorade launches campaign in New Zealand with Usain Bolt
Frucor is launching a Gatorade campaign in New Zealand this Sunday with a television marketing campaign featuring Usain
Bolt.
"Coming off the back of his record breaking efforts at the London Olympics we are excited to be launching Gatorade in
New Zealand with Usain Bolt featuring in a series of digital communications and television commercials," says Mark
Callaghan, CEO of Frucor.
"Gatorade is the only sports drink in New Zealand backed by over four decades of scientific research. Gatorade is the most thoroughly researched beverage on the planet for athletes and active people. There isn’t any
other sports drink that has a performance benefit over Gatorade."
Gatorade has supported elite athletes and sports people since its origins in 1965 when it was formulated by researchers
at the University of Florida to successfully combat dehydration.
As one of the world's leading sports drinks Gatorade is formulated with the optimal source of electrolytes and
carbohydrates to rehydrate, replenish and refuel.
"As part of our launch plans we are attempting to secure Usain Bolt to come to New Zealand, because he is a global
sponsored Gatorade athlete. We have not secured him yet but we are hopeful. It would be amazing if we were able to host
him in New Zealand," Callaghan says.
Ends.
Please find pre-views of the launch advertisements in New Zealand: http://www.youtube.com/user/gatoradenewzealand
More information will be available from Sunday at the new Gatorade New Zealand website: www.gatorade.co.nz
Information on the sports science behind Gatorade is available at: http://www.gssiweb.com/
ENDS
About Frucor: www.frucor.com
Since its beginnings in the early 1960’s as part of the New Zealand Apple & Pear Board, Frucor has evolved from a small local juice business to a significant international beverages company, with
820 staff and annual revenue of NZ$500 million. Frucor exports approximately NZ$250 million of beverages a year, roughly
equivalent to a quarter of New Zealand’s total annual wine industry exports. Frucor is the market leader in energy
drinks in Australia and New Zealand, and the market leader in juice in New Zealand.
Frucor manufactures, markets and distributes a range of fruit juices, fruit drinks, energy drinks, waters and soft
drinks, many of which are household names throughout New Zealand and Australia. Energy drink ‘V’ is also distributed
throughout Europe and the UK. Frucor brands include ‘V’, Mizone, H2Go, Just Juice, Fresh-up, McCoy, Citrus Tree, Simply
Squeezed, Arano, NZ Natural, G-Force, Supplement Water, Moccona, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7Up and Frank.
Since 2009 Frucor has been wholly owned by leading Japanese beverage and food company Suntory Group www.suntory.com
About Gatorade: www.gatorade.com
Deep in Gator Country a legend was made back in 1965. Plagued by heat, the University of Florida football players fell
victim to one of the most devastating competitors ever - dehydration. Something revealed when players never had to use
the 'facilities' during games. University of Florida doctors discovered that the players weren't properly hydrated,
causing their performance to falter. The researchers — Dr. Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shires, Dr. H. James Free and Dr.
Alejandro de Quesada, formulated a new carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that, unlike water, kept the players properly
hydrated. The Gators went 7-4 that year, 9-2 in 1966 then went on to win the Orange Bowl for the first time.
Time after time the Gators outplayed their opponents late in the game, even under sweltering conditions. Athletes soon
started asking for Gatorade and swore by its ability to help them go longer and finish stronger. Gatorade's dominance
has continued to grow as a winning product, gaining notoriety with the beginning of the Gatorade 'Dunk' tradition in the
1986-87 NFL season, when two players soaked their coach with Gatorade after winning the Super Bowl. Today, from its
humble beginnings, Gatorade continues to fuel some of the world's most prominent athletes.