Gatorade launches White Lightning

Pepsico's Tony Atayde with the Gatorade Ambassadors Mika Reyes, Chris Banchero, and Alyssa Valdez

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Gatorade has officially beefed up its roster with the launch of its latest variant, the orange-and-grapefruit-flavor based White Lightning.

To help with the launch, Gatorade enlisted a powerhouse lineup of ambassadors, namely volleybelles Alyssa Valdez and Mika Reyes, as well as noted ballers Jeron Teng and Chris Banchero.

Pepsico Philippines Marketing Manager for Hydration Tony Atayde says, “Coming from our 50th anniversary wherein we celebrated Gatorade's legacy of fueling local international sports' greatest moments, we now want to focus on empowering a new breed of athletes and game-changers.” He adds, “Alyssa, Mika, Chris, and Jeron are top athletes who know the value of working hard to stay in peak form and understand that games aren't won on the court but in the gym and practice venues. We're excited to see them inspire more people to pursue active lifestyles and understand the value of proper hydration.

With White Lightning, Gatorade aims to help one's path towards greatness. It believes that the road begins with relentless hard work, one without shortcuts. The key to winning on game day, whether that is either going on a long marathon or climbing a mountain peak, or even as simple as just feeling stronger overall, lies in just preparing yourself in the gym and constantly working to improve your game.

With this kind of hard work, it is important to have the proper hydration to be able to push forward and grow stronger, thus the entry of Gatorade, and with this latest product.

White Lightning is formulated by a combination of non-carbonated water (does not cause stomach discomfort), six percent carbohydrates (according to research is the optimal level in promoting absorption and providing energy to working muscles), electrolytes (for rapid rehydration), and minerals (helps prevent cramps).

Atayde adds, “You don't have to be a pro athlete to benefit from proper hydration. For as long as you move and you sweat, your body needs to be properly hydrated so you continue to work towards achieving your full potential. We're confident that our new variant and our new ambassadors will help reinforce that message.”

Khris Middleton and Alec Burks to come to the Philippines for NBA Fit Week

A couple more NBA players have been confirmed to participate in the Pinoy version of NBA FIT Week, which aims to highlight the importance of healthy living through these three pillars: being active, eating healthy, and playing together.

Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks and Alec Burks of the Utah Jazz will be joining current NBA TV analyst Brian Shaw to kick off the festivities with the Gatorade NBA Training Center on July 29.

Middleton averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebs, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 79 games for Milwaukee this past season, numbers that netted him a $70M extension in the offseason.

Burks was limited to just 27 games this past season due to a shoulder injury that necessitated surgery, averaging 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3 assists. He said in the team website that he is "honored to have been asked" to come here and "be able to represent the Jazz for NBA Fit Week." He adds, "This is a great way to share the game of basketball and to give back to these elite athletes."

Set to take place at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong, the Gatorade NBA Training Center gathers elite instructors in the fields of basketball, fitness, conditioning, and nutrition to share the latest techniques and know-how to Filipino athletes and coaches.

This is the second-ever iteration of the event, with then-Trailblazers Robin Lopez and Wes Matthews accompanying then-ESPN NBA analyst Avery Johnson last year.

Aside from the Gatorade NBA Training Center, there will be a few more stuff lined up for NBA FIT Week, including a NBA Cares activity with Project Pearls in Bocaue, Bulacan, as well as the NBA FIT Adi Nation Skills Camp for 9-13 y/o varsity kids at the end of the month.

Brian Shaw set to train Pinoys on NBA Fit Week

To kick off the NBA Fit Week in the Philippines, current NBATV analyst Brian Shaw will be headed to the country to provide instructions for its upcoming activities, in accordance with the NBA FIT's three pillars of healthy living (being active, eating healthy, and staying together).

Shaw will be present for the 2nd-ever Gatorade NBA Training Center at the Gatorade Hoops Center on July 29. He'll also participate in a NBA Cares activity with Project Pearls (with 40 kids) on July 30 at Bocaue, Bulacan, as well as the NBA FIT Adi Nation Skills Camp (with youth varsity players aged 9-13) on July 31.

The former coach of the Denver Nuggets will also share his personal drills and training techniques with the likes of LA Tenorio, Jeron Teng, Gelo Alolino, Von Pessumal, Mike Tolomia and Kevin Ferrer, while also teaching coaching philosophies to professional and collegiate tacticians in a special session.

"I look forward to visiting Manila and witnessing first-hand the passion of the Filipino players and coaches. The Philippines has produced great basketball talent, and I’m excited to share my knowledge with the participants to help them take that next step." - Brian Shaw

The Gatorade NBA Training Center gathers elite instructors in basketball, fitness and conditioning, and nutrition and have them share their techniques and other know-how to Pinoy athletes and coaches. The first edition took place last year, with then Portland Trailblazers Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews and then ESPN analyst Avery Johnson visiting.

Details on the Gatorade NBA Training Center can be seen on Gatorade Philippines' Facebook page.

A peek at the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas in practice

On Wednesday morning, I had the chance to do something few people are able to accomplish, and that is to watch and observe the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas practice. Thanks to our friends from Gatorade Philippines, I got that checked off the bucket list.

Gatorade Philippines had their turnover ceremony with the team that day, as one of its endorsers.

Gatorade Philippines conducting their turnover ceremony to head coach Chot Reyes, manager Aboy Castro, and team members LA Tenorio and Ranidel de Ocampo.

I technically was not going to be able to witness this, as it had supposedly been scheduled to take place the night before, but fortunately for me, there was a change of plans, and voila, I got myself the the chance to attend this event.

The venue was at the Meralco Gym, where it is written that it is the home of the Meralco Bolts. Of course, there was John Wilson shooting jumpers.



And then there was Ryan Gregorio doing the same thing. He and Wilson had a shooting contest. Not sure who won between the two, but they were stroking it.



Gatorade allowed us to handle quick interviews with some members of the team, as well as Team Manager Aboy Castro and lastly, head coach Chot Reyes. The output of those interviews will be on the next few succeeding posts.

While waiting for the photo op of the turnover (and the chance to interview Chot), we had the chance to watch the practice unfold.

Been blessed to be able to witness @coachot and the @smartgilasph practice. Thankful to our friends at @GatoradePH. pic.twitter.com/6DEj0yW5YW
— John Paul Manahan (@misterjpmanahan) July 9, 2014

With Game 5 scheduled to tip off, Paul Lee and Beau Belga were not around for the practice, but Gilas cadet Jake Pascual was present to complement the remaining ten players present.

There were two five-man units: an Alas-Lanete-Dillinger-Washington-Fajardo unit against a Tenorio-David-Aguilar-De Ocampo-Douthit unit.

Jong Uichico, Josh Reyes and Nash Racela were present to help out Chot with running practice. Jong handled one set of players while Chot handled the other, as they ran sets and executed situations.


Right now, I believe they are already in Wuhan, about to participate in the upcoming FIBA-Asia Asia Cup. They have the photo proof to show they are already almost at their destination.

At HK airport. On the way to Wuhan for FIBA Asia Cup. @coachot pic.twitter.com/oXlcJLFAzm
— Garvo Lanete (@garvothe13) July 10, 2014

God bless Gilas Pilipinas in their quest to make history.

The Gatorade #Unreal Football Experience might just include you

Want to be #UNREAL like Lionel? Read on...

A week ago, Pepsico Marketing Manager Mikey Rosales revealed at the launch of the Green Fury flavor of Gatorade about the chance at what he calls the "unreal football experience."

He then asked to play this particular clip on the screen.



Mikey is referring to the Gatorade Unreal Around The World Contest, which you can check out on GatoradeFootball.com for complete details.

Five footballers will have a chance to have a memorable football experience, spread across three continents and six countries.

They will first spend it in the United States, specifically at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute inside the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Moving to England, they will get to train at the fabled Liverpool Academy, followed by a behind-the-scenes look inside the Emirates Stadium during an exhibition football match involving Arsenal.

In Spain, they will get to experience being inside not just Camp Nou, but also the legendary La Masia of FC Barcelona.

Completing the European swing will be a trip to Milan, where they will be given an all-access look with the rossoneri of AC Milan.

Buenos Aires, Argentina opens the South American leg with a chance to train at the Nutrition Lab of continental club powerhouse Boca Juniors. They will also have the chance to meet club legends then and now.

The last part of the trip features a visit to Rio de Janeiro to see Flamengo play at the Maracanã and get some VIP access. Completing the experience will be something in relation with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

How can one have the opportunity to have that experience?

One, make a 30-second to two-minute video clip showing your football skills.
Two, submit it along with the pertinent details, which includes a short essay on how you are trying to be a better player.

Clips will be judged on football handling skills, creativity and originality, and dedication and passion to improve performance via hard work.

Interested peeps have until 11:59 PM on June 12 (in Manila, that translates to 11:59 am of June 13) to submit an entry. The Philippines is among those who can submit entries, so take advantage of an #Unreal experience.

Gatorade launches special edition "Green Fury"

Gatorade Green Fury

In time for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup and coinciding with its worldwide "UNREAL" football campaign, Gatorade released a limited edition flavor called "Green Fury."

Already available in your nearest stores and supermarkets, the kiwi-flavored Green Fury was officially launched in the Philippines this past Monday at the Gatorade Blue Pitch in Makati, with the support of Chelsea FC Soccer School Philippines, Adidas, and the Center for Health Research and the Sports Science Department of the University of Santo Tomas.

Highlighting the football aspect of the flavor is that Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is featured on the bottle, joining the likes of Michael Jordan and Dwyane Wade as sporting figures with such a feat.

Pepsico Marketing Manager Mikey Rosales says that the Green Fury is "one way of showing Gatorade's support for football." He cited the fact that they are supporting four United Football League Div I clubs (Loyola, Kaya, Green Archers, and Stallion) and have three national team stalwarts among its brand ambassadors (the Younghusband brothers and Emelio Caligdong). Phil, James and Chieffy, according to him, exemplify the message that Gatorade wants to convey to everyone, that "with every ounce of work and sweat, you too can turn in an unreal performance on the pitch."

Photo from the launch. c/o Gatorade PH's Facebook page

Rosales adds that international sporting figures being associated with Gatorade like Messi, his fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero and Brazilian David Luiz and Spaniard Sergio Ramos highlights the notion that Gatorade hydrates like no other.

Gatorade Philippines helps refurbish UST beach volleyball court

On Monday, the University of Santo Tomas, with the assistance of Gatorade Philippines, reopened the beach volleyball court on its campus grounds along España in Manila.

Gracing the occasion were officials from Gatorade Philippines, led by its Senior Product Manager Mikey Rosales, as well as officials from Royal Pontifical University, led by their Athletic Director Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P.

Gatorade Philippines' Mikey Rosales with UST officials, led by UST AD Fr. de Sagon

UST was the winner among the seven UAAP schools that participated in the 2012 Gatorade UAAP Digital Activation "Fuel Your Battle" Application download contest.



The contest had students of the participating universities to download the corresponding posters and cover photos of their own representatives or varsity players. The school with the highest number of downloads when the end of the basketball season of UAAP Season 75 secured a sports grant from Gatorade Philippines, to help and support the student-athletes in fueling their game, so to speak.

With the victory, according to Fr. de Sagon, the university looked into using the grant to refurbish the beach volleyball court. The reopened court is still not up to the international standards with regards to its size, but the school is looking into the possibility of expanding it to meet said guidelines. The eventual plan is to have the UAAP beach volleyball tournament hosted inside the UST campus.

The tournament has been hosted in the previous years at the Caloocan campus of the University of the East.

To highlight the reopening, an exhibition beach volleyball match took place with UST Lady Tigresses Maru Banaticla and Ingrid Reyes facing teammates Pam Lastimosa and Mela Tunay. Pam and Mela beat Maru and Ingrid in three sets, 1-5, 5-3 and 7-5.

From L-R: Marsh of Gatorade PH, Mela Tunay, Pam Lastimosa, Ingrid Reyes, Maru Banaticla, Rick Olivares and Mikey Rosales

Maru formed half of the back-to-back winning tandem for UST in beach volleyball.

Gatorade Philippines continues to show support to the upcoming UAAP season, with Jeric Teng being UST's lone member in the roster of G Rising Stars.

G-Day has arrived, and That's G

The photo you see above is the new visual identity of Gatorade. Gatorade Philippines launched it on Monday night at the rechristened Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City (naming rights, ala the SMART-Araneta Coliseum).

We remember the old logo of Gatorade being like this:

Old School

The new logo denotes a bold representation of the heart, hustle and the soul of modern-day athletes looking for a winning edge in their quest for athletic glory.

Alongside this transition from the old to the new has been the use of social media to get the word out on the change. You're probably kind of wondering then why you see the #ThatsG and the #WinFromWithin hashtags recently, especially from your favorite athletes.

Some of those athletes that you may be following on the different social media platforms are actually Gatorade Ambassadors, which is subdivided into the G Rising Stars, which is designated for the student-athletes under its umbrella, and the G Elite, which is designated for the professionals under its umbrella.

In addition to the ambassadors, Gatorade has also been a partner with the different professional teams and schools with supplying their needs, as well as the different sporting events, like the IronMan and Asian Triathlon Championships. There are reports already that they are in the works to be part of the upcoming NBA Preseason game between the Pacers and Rockets.

In spite of the change of the visual identity, Gatorade will still remain to be faithful in delivering the scientifically-proven hydration and performance benefits which it was built on since its inception in 1967. In fact, Gatorade Philippines' Senior Product Manager Mikey Rosales noted that it is the complete sports fuel for the current generation of athletes.

The launch of the new logo was conducted in front of an excited audience that included athletes from different sporting disciplines, coaches and media. Attendees got a chance to see to test themselves with the different zones and challenges, from getting their vertical leap and power test, to checking their skills in endurance, football and hoops. It also was the chance for Gatorade to introduce the G Rising Stars and G Elite.

There were also prizes given away to lucky winners. Two were blessed enough to win an all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans for the 2014 All-Star Game.

Spoelstra's Homecoming, Revisited

Erik Spoelstra is proud of his Filipino heritage, and as part of paying homage to it, has been flying in to the country to return to his roots.

Due to the NBA lockout last year, it was a pretty much muzzled experience for most Pinoys, who would have loved to enjoy and relish the Heat experience of making the Finals in Lebron+Dwyane+Chris's first year. In spite of that, Grantland writer Rafe Bartholomew wrote a definitive narrative of his visit then.

Fast forward a year later.

The Miami Heat wins the championship and some much needed satisfaction for each individual on that organization.

For Spoelstra, it brings legitimacy to his coaching acumen, something he first learned in Miami as a video-coordinator and then as an assistant under Pat Riley.

Now a champion, he makes his triumphant return to the Philippines, with fans looking forward to when he will visit. And he did earlier this month, squeezing a lot onto this schedule.

He made a splash during the PBA Governor's Cup Finals, watching Game 5 and visited the locker room. He held a press conference to a happy set of Filipino media and had a courtesy call with the President of the Republic. He taught kids. He explained Game 4 of the NBA Finals to a throng of Heat fans in a movie theater.

I was privileged enough to be able to watch the latter that particular night, after earlier having the opportunity to be one of the few media members able to attend a Facebook video chat conducted by Gatorade Philippines. I took the chance to record the event as seen below...



We are privileged to have had Erik Spoelstra come to our shores for the past few years, making an impact with those around him.

NBA Coach Erik Spoelstra Live Video Facebook Chat and Meet and Greet Promo

We know Erik Spoelstra is coming to Manila. I even wrote about that. But what you really want to have a chance to personally around the head coach of the recently crowned NBA Champions.

Thanks to Gatorade Philippines, fans will have the chance to secure exclusive access to a LIVE STREAM VIDEO CHAT with him on the Gatorade Philippines Facebook page!

Not only that, but also ten (10) lucky fans will also be invited to the actual LIVE CHAT to meet Coach Spo in person, take pictures with THE Larry O’Brien trophy, and get cool Gatorade gear this Saturday, August 4, at The Marriott Hotel, Manila.

Join now and fuel your thirst for Basketball with Gatorade and The NBA!

Instructions on how to join are noted after the jump:

1. Become a fan of Gatorade Philippines by visiting www.facebook.com/GatoradePH 
2. Submit your question for NBA Coach Erik Spoelstra on the post that will be pinned on top of the Gatorade Philippines Timeline.
3. Gatorade Philippines will select the best Ten (10) questions. The people who fielded those questions will each receive the following prizes:

• Exclusive invitation to a Meet and Greet with Coach Spo on Saturday, August 4 at the Marriott Hotel (10 winners and each winner can bring one guest)
• Coach Spo autographed Gatorade Ball and Gatorade Elite Training Gear (Sports Bag, Hydration bottle, Towel and ID lanyard.

1. In addition, Twenty (20) winners will be randomly chosen from fans who posted questions on the Gatorade Facebook page and will each receive the following prizes:

• Two (2) tickets to the NBA Finals Viewing Party at the SM Mall of Asia Center Stage Cinema  (20 winners, each winner will receive 2 tickets)
• Gatorade Sports Packs (Sling Bag, Hydration bottle, Gym Towel and ID lanyard):  Two (2) Sports Packs per winner

Note: All winners will be required to secure their own transportation to the venues to attend or claim their respective prizes.

1. Promotion begins on Monday, July 30 2012 at 12:01 am and will end on Wednesday, August 1 2012 at 11:59PM. Winners will be announced on the Gatorade Facebook page on August 2, at 5:00pm and will be asked to email their contact details to ph.gatorade@gmail.com  so they can be notified how to claim their respective prizes. Winners who fail to confirm their details by 12 pm on August 3, 2012 will be deemed to have forfeited their prize. No substitutes will be selected.

ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

• The NBA and Gatorade will monitor the questions and take down any that are believed to be rude or inappropriate.
• Employees of Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI), Pepsico International (PI), Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Inc. (PCFET), NBA Properties, Inc., the National Basketball Association, its Member Teams and affiliates (collectively, “NBA Entities”), Pepsi Partners: EDS and Distributors, including their relatives up to the third degree of affinity and consanguinity shall be disqualified from joining and/or participating in this promotion.
• Winners and entrants agree NBA Entities may not be held liable for any claims or damages that might arise in connection with the promotion or related advertisement or any prizes or premiums awarded in the promotion or any incident that occurs during use of the prize won (during use of air and land transport, hotel services or during the basketball match or for any incident that occurs on these occasions).
• The winners hereby authorize PCPPI, PI, PCFET, and the NBA Entities to use their names and likeness for publicity purposes without this conferring any remuneration, right or benefit of any kind other than the award of their prize.