Georges St. Pierre Breaks Advertising Ground With Gatorade

by Luke Thomas on Mar 23, 2009 1:16 PM EDT in News Comment 40 comments

Winning and winning big doesn't hurt nor do marketable looks, but those in MMA that take deliberate steps to act like professional sportsmen are likely to see more of this:

Joining a list of athletes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and many, many more, Georges St. Pierre, has signed on to be a major part of Gatorade's latest campaign as one of the faces of their "G" marketing onslaught.

The Gatorade "G" campaign launched in the U.S. during the Super Bowl in January with many top flight athletes representing the brand. Now the company will move north of the border with a group of Canadian athletes to represent the brand.

Along with other top Canadians such as Gordie Howe, Cassie Campbell, Ray Zahab, Chantal Petitclerc, and Bradd Arseneau, St. Pierre will serve as one of the leaders to help push Gatorade in the newly branded market.

"Just like in the U.S., the Canadian Gatorade brand is recognizing some of our nation’s most influential and inspiring athletes," said Dale Hooper, vice president of marketing for Gatorade in Canada. "These athletes represent Canada’s best while also serving as motivation to any Canadian who sweats, whether they’re in it to win, for the fun of it, or for better health."

Message to Georges: keep up what you're doing and until Spike/UFC cleans up their act, stay as far away from "The Ultimate Fighter" as possible. The juice from that show isn't worth the squeeze.

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GSP's abs look weird in that picture...they don't line up right.

Next stop in the BJ Penn excuse/accusation train: GSP is obviously an android designed to ruin his life! Someone call NSAC!

Anyways, good for GSP. We need some of that exposure south of the boarder too.

by Razreshat on Mar 23, 2009 12:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kudos!!!

Damn those were tasty. :)

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 23, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Winning and winning big doesn’t hurt nor do marketable looks, but those in MMA that take deliberate steps to act like professional sportsmen are likely to see more of this:

Absolutely right. We need more guys behaving professionally in MMA, in and out of the cage. Guys like GSP help defy people’s expectations for what a fighter should look and act like. I really hope we see more of these big endorsements!

by pud333 on Mar 23, 2009 12:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great news for MMA.

by Nick Thomas on Mar 23, 2009 1:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Okay...

I know wearing Affliction shirts is considered douchey, but what about GSPs UFC 94 walkout shirt? I got it and it’s pretty sweet looking. :)

I <3 GSP

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 23, 2009 1:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That’s one thing that I’m surprised didn’t get more coverage.

The owner of that company had to file a restraining order against Todd Beard right after UFC 94.

I’m glad some fighters are getting some real sponsors. I expected Georges would get some stuff with that new agency he signed with.

by Phildo on Mar 23, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool thing about it is that I got the shirt absolutely FREE!!! :D

Thanks, Silverstar!

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 23, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What happened at UFC 94? What shirt was he wearing? I must have missed the legal brouhaha.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Mar 23, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Supposedly GSP was an “Affliction” fighter but walked out in a Signature Series GSP Silverstar shirt.

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 23, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that shirt is sweet. I’ll say this though, anybody looking to but that shirt, buy it a size bigger than shirts you normally wear because it runs small.

by Chooch on Mar 23, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah luckily I went with my instincts on that one and ordered an XL. My wife likes it, all that really matters ;) I guess… lol

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 23, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Have you guys seen the white one with the red fleur on the back, that’s the one I bought. I had never seen it before but when I went to buy the gray one they had that too and IMO it is even sweeter looking.

by ufc4 on Mar 23, 2009 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I saw that one after I had already gotten mine.Tis teh hawtness! :P

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 24, 2009 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do I really want my fighters to shill Pepsi and M&M’s?

by subo on Mar 23, 2009 1:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

"Do I really want my fighters to shill Pepsi and M&M’s?"

Answer: Yes
If you want MMA to go completely mainstream then national major sponsors like, Gatorade or whatever are necessary. Advertising dollars= more interested viewers

Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.

by dnevil001 on Mar 23, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Eyeballs, eyeballs, eyeballs.

by casey manrique on Mar 23, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow, that’s huge. Great ad campaign, too.

Contributor Emeritus - BloodyElbow.com

by Chris Nelson on Mar 23, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

great news. i’m stoked! it’ll be interesting to see who else gets big ad campaigns.

by snet tim on Mar 23, 2009 2:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What ground is being broken that Gina didn’t do with Pepsi and Rashad didn’t do with Microsoft?
Honest question.

by Simco on Mar 23, 2009 2:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good point! And that was in the US, during the fricken SUPERBOWL lol!

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Mar 23, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gatorade is a staple of the sporting community. Pepsi and Microsoft are gigantic companies, but their primary audience and businesses practices are geared for the sports world. There are distinctions.

by Luke Thomas on Mar 23, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

THIS SHOULD READ

“Pepsi and Microsoft are gigantic companies, but their primary audience and businesses practices are NOT geared for the sports world.”

This is part of a larger topic i’ve been discussing, namely, the one-arm’s distance put up against MMA by the sporting community. As their ice cold hearts begin to thaw, they are also helping MMA to be a member of the sports community.

by Luke Thomas on Mar 23, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s an important point about Gatorade being an integral part of many U.S. sports. I would also expect GSP to be more a focal point of their ads. While Gina’s inclusion in the Pepsi montage type commercial during the Super Bowl was quite important, it really wasn’t about her or her sport. I’m struggling to remember the Rashad/Microsoft spot. A mixed martial artist in a U.S. campaign with Gatorade, or another big time sports sponsor, would be huge for MMA in the United States.

by Cannon Jacques on Mar 23, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here’s the commercial.

Rashad comes in @ 0:27

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Mar 23, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I remember during the game, all the people I was watching it with had no idea who he was since they don’t follow MMA. I had to explain to them who Rashad Evans was, they thought he was just some random guy thrown in there for the commercial.

by Chooch on Mar 23, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it’s attempt to shower praise on GSP. I’ve read the explanations above and I am just not buying it. A Pepsi ad is more prestigious than a Gatorade ad. The notion that a Gatorade ad is more ground breaking because Gatorade markets to sports fan seems like an extremely rosy view. Gatorade has put a lot fringe sport athletes in their ads and no one takes notice, nor has it helped several sports. Pepsi is more an icon of pop culture, show up in their ad than the notion exists that you are making an impact on the culture.

Also the sports world doesn’t shun MMA. Networks like ESPN shy away from MMA clips on their news broadcast because

a) Notable fights are always in PPV so networks see a limited audience and has be careful what is revealed
b) UFC likes to control their own footage and coverage. ESPN, CBS, NBC, Fox, etc are in charge of footage and coverage for other sports so there is an incentive for the networks to amp up the news coverage.

by bignerd on Mar 23, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“I think it’s attempt to shower praise on GSP.”

It has to be that, doesn’t it? Since everything else in your comment is wildly off the mark, how could your conclusion about my arguments be any different?

by Luke Thomas on Mar 23, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Took you a while in this post to get to the anti UFC spin.

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Mar 23, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pepsi owns Gatorade.

by MrBlond3 on Mar 23, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

When I see him in an ad with the Green M&M then I’ll know that GSP has arrived.

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

by lovingmma25 on Mar 23, 2009 4:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

’ow do you choke an M&M?

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Mar 23, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

first you have to grab it by the…, uh, and then you…., screw it GSP should arm bar the green M&M, it does have arms right?

by proflex on Mar 24, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am can’t believe no one has made a joke about Gatorade’s new flavor;
“Greased Lightning”

"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"

by Warhand on Mar 23, 2009 4:47 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

bq.Gordie Howe, Cassie Campbell, Ray Zahab, Chantal Petitclerc, and Bradd Arseneau

Dont know any of those names myself.

by Benicio on Mar 23, 2009 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They are Canadian sports celebrities, so they are therefore nearly anonymous.

Keep firing Assholes!

by Ubernoober on Mar 23, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Ding ding ding!

by pud333 on Mar 23, 2009 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gordie Howe is undoubtedly one of the greatest hockey players of all time. The rest, I dunno.

Contributor Emeritus - BloodyElbow.com

by Chris Nelson on Mar 23, 2009 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I follow Canadian sports pretty thoroughly, and there are a couple names there I haven’t heard of either. Howe is an easy one, Cassie Campbell plays (women’s) hockey, Chantal Petitclerc races wheelchairs, but the others I had to look up.

Arseneau was the kid that didn’t die in the basketball team van crash last year, and his team won something this season. Ray Zahab is an ultramarathoner.

by youngid on Mar 23, 2009 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs