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CHICAGO — Lifted by a premiere on the Super Bowl telecast, The Gatorade Co. is rolling out a new line of beverages that it said will reflect its shift from a sports drink to a sports performance innovation company.
The PepsiCo division said the full line of its new G Series sports performance beverages, which made their debut on the sidelines of Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, will become available to consumers later this spring.
According to Gatorade, scientists from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute worked with some of the world’s top athletes to create the G Series, which is designed to provide the fluid, fuel and nutrients that athletes need before, during and after a workout, practice or competition.
"Every successful brand evolution delivers a one-two punch of image and innovation, and the G Series is a major step on our journey from a sports drink to a sports performance innovation company," Sarah Robb O’Hagan, chief marketing officer for Gatorade, said in a statement.
"For too long, this category has relied on flavor extensions, and it’s time to reset the clock in terms of functionality. And that’s what we’re doing in 2010," O’Hagan noted.
In developing the G Series, which Gatorade said builds on the momentum of its G brand refresh campaign last year, the company’s scientists collaborated with such athletes as Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Peyton Manning, Misty May-Treanor, Dwyane Wade, Derek Jeter, Ellery Hollingsworth and Landon Donovan. Gatorade also solicited feedback from more than 10,000 athletes and a wide array of sports health professionals to ensure that the G Series meets and is optimized for athletes’ needs.
Each product of the G Series is designed to meet the distinct performance needs around workout or competition usage — pre (01), during (02) and post (03):
• Gatorade Prime 01: According to Gatorade research, athletes are looking for energy to kick-start their activity but don’t want to feel too full. Gatorade Prime 01 is pre-game fuel designed for use within 15 minutes of a workout or competition. Packaged in a 4-ounce pouch, Gatorade Prime 01 provides real carbohydrate energy, not the perceived energy that comes from highly caffeinated beverages, the company said.
• Gatorade Perform 02 (Gatorade Thirst Quencher): Now reframed within the G Series, Gatorade Thirst Quencher continues to offer the scientifically proven blend of fluids to help rehydrate, electrolytes to replace what athletes lose in sweat, and carbohydrate energy to fuel working muscles and enhance athletic performance.
• Gatorade Perform 02 (G2): Also positioned within the G Series, the low-calorie G2 delivers functional hydration during exercise with less than half of the calories (and the carbohydrates to fuel working muscles) of Gatorade Thirst Quencher.
• Gatorade Recover 03: The company said Gatorade Recover 03 is the first protein and carbohydrate beverage formulated with the consistency of a thirst quencher to provide hydration and muscle recovery benefits after exercise.
Plans call for a gradual retail rollout of the G Series products, with G2 immediately appearing on store shelves in its reframed Perform 02 label, followed by Gatorade Thirst Quencher with its G Series Gatorade Perform 02 label next month. The Gatorade Prime 01 and Gatorade Recover 03 products are slated to become available in stores starting in April.
In addition, Gatorade said it’s removing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from Gatorade Thirst Quencher and G2, and the full line of products without HFCS is due to be available at retail later this spring, though some will start rolling out as early as January.
