Ad of of the week – Powerade

by Stratton Craig

image overlay

At the time of writing, 49 days 11 hours and 46 minutes remain until the 2014 FIFA World Cup begins (but who’s counting?), and so the promotional ads have started to appear. W+K Amsterdam’s slot for Powerade – the tournament’s official sports drink provider – caught our eye.

Titled There’s Power in Every Game, the TV commercial forms part of a wider global campaign as Powerade aims to reach the same international audience as the tournament is certain to attract. Spain’s World Cup winning midfielder Andrés Iniesta is the face of the ad, and it also tells the story of five amateur players from around the world including Nico, born with one leg, who we return to shortly.

The ad is a montage of our six characters playing football or training, but it’s the words that provide impact. It opens with two rhetorical devices: “Of all the games in the world, which matters most?” “One caught in the glare of a million flashes or another in the hazy light of a suburban sun?” Underneath this we watch Iniesta dazzle in a floodlight stadium contrasted by our amateur players giving their all on humble pitches or dusty patches of grass.  

The questions are answered: “Not in the heat of battle. Not when you've given everything, to give even more” “Whether the pitch is a pitch, or a square of dust, every kick has a consequence.” And closes with the inspiring: “The game that matters most is the one you're playing”.

With all elements considered, the visual needs the words to truly make sense, as otherwise it’s a football slideshow with Powerade branding. Try playing the ad with your sound off and sum it up in one word, before doing the same with the sound on. We are confident your second word will reflect Powerade’s approach.

Supporting the central story is the hashtag #powerthrough for social media, print ads and a short YouTube documentary titled ‘Nico’s Story’, which collates powerful home clips showing the amateur player not letting his disadvantage hold him back on the pitch.

The use of a variety of content enables the campaign to gain maximum exposure, and Nico’s story is the vital element to stimulate social media shares. This once again demonstrates the value in the diversity of content, particularly when a global audience is your target. 

Have you spotted an ad worthy of our Ad of the Week status? Tweet us @strattoncraig with your suggestion or leave us a comment below.