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Duke, UConn, USC All-American Trio Stars in New Gatorade Commercial

Player of the Year candidates Cooper Flagg, Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins featured in new campaign

Michael Ehrlich

Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center.
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Ahead of the NCAA Tournament, sports drink powerhouse Gatorade has released a new campaign featuring their top college basketball athlete partners.

All-Americans and Player of the Year candidates Cooper Flagg of Duke, Paige Bueckers of UConn and JuJu Watkins of USC star in a new ad — "The Take" — to officially tip off March Madness.

According to the brand, the new spot tells the story of the trio of superstars and how they use their “IT” to overcome the noise, hype and distractions to win in big moments. Bueckers was the first college athlete to sign with Gatorade while Flagg and Watkins are the brand's most recent athlete partners.

“Having been the first NIL athlete on the Gatorade roster, it’s extremely rewarding to look back at all we’ve accomplished together over the last few years," Bueckers said. "Gatorade has fueled me throughout the highs and lows of my college career, and I’m excited to see what lies ahead for us in the future.”

Flagg, Bueckers and Watkins were all respectively named their conference Player of the Year winners and the trio are locks for All-American honors, with National Player of the Year potential. Flagg and Bueckers are also expected top selections in the upcoming NBA and WNBA drafts.

“This is my first Gatorade campaign since becoming a Gatorade athlete," added Flagg. "I grew up watching the greats in iconic Gatorade commercials, and to now be in one myself alongside such talented athletes is surreal.” 

In addition to the new commercials, Gatorade is releasing a limited-edition squeeze bottle in collaboration with Watkins that embodies her mantra — "without struggle, there is no progress" —
highlighting her commitment to the game and drive to continue improving. The brand previously worked with Iowa legend and WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark on a similar launch.

Flagg's Duke Blue Devils are the No. 1 seed in the East Region will play the winner of American versus Mount St. Mary's winner on March 21.

For the second year in a row, Watkins' USC and Bueckers' UConn are in the same region, this tournament as the top two teams in Region 4. They faced off in the Elite Eight a year ago, with the Huskies prevailing. USC opens the tournament against UNC Greensboro, while UConn matches up against Arkansas State, both on March 22.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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