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© History Oasis
1979-1990s
Thirst Quencher was Gatorade’s first slogan. It emerged when Gatorade emerged from its university laboratory origins. The tagline appeared in bold blue capital letters with Gatorade’s iconic orange lightning bolt logo. The slogan/campaign focused on the benefits of sports drinks, highlighting hydration and electrolyte replacement. Advertisements featured product shots and basic athletic scenarios.
1984-1990
Written by songwriter Joe Lubinsky, the slogan/jingle stated, "Gatorade is thirst aid, for that deep down body thirst." This campaign was Gatorade's push beyond athletes toward the general population seeking hydration. Quaker Oats spent around $30 million by 1990 on this campaign alone. The slogan used rhyming wordplay to create memorability, but the campaign ended abruptly when federal judge Prentice Marshall ruled that Quaker had infringed on a trademark held by Sands, Taylor & Wood. Quaker Oats was forced to pay them $24.7 million in damages.
1991
The campaign and slogan “Be Like Mike” was created by advertising executive Bernie Pitzel, who wrote the lyrics on a napkin in four hours at his favorite Italian restaurant. The concept was inspired by the song "I Wanna Be Like You" from Disney's The Jungle Book, but Disney wanted $350,000 for licensing rights. Instead, Pitzel hired composers Ira Antelis and Steve Shafer to create original music. The 60-second commercial showed Michael Jordan playing basketball with children and adults. While the public warmly received the campaign, it never resulted in larger sales for Gatorade.
1997-2013
This campaign focused on internal motivation. Its slogan challenged consumers to reflect on their own inner strength and determination. The campaign positioned Gatorade with aspiration. Advertisements again featured Michael Jordan, who could be seen dripping in Gatorade-colored sweat. It was a literal metaphor that the sports drink became one with the athlete. The campaign emphasized physical consumption and metaphorical inner qualities necessary for success. The campaign ran for 16 years, making it Gatorade's longest-running slogan.
2013-2024
Launched in March 2013 with a TV commercial featuring NBA stars Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade. The slogan emphasized internal strength over external performance, targeting a broader audience beyond elite athletes. Gatorade produced five special bottles featuring iconic sports moments, including Michael Jordan's 1988 foul line slam dunk. The campaign was launched with Gatorade's product line expansion and international growth under PepsiCo ownership. The slogan helped Gatorade transition to a comprehensive performance nutrition company.
2024-Present
With their largest campaign ever, Gatorade revived their iconic tagline “Is it in You?” in May 2024. The return of the slogan addresses new challenges facing Gen Z athletes, with Gatorade data showing that 53% of young athletes quit sports due to external pressures and unrealistic expectations. It came with a 60-second film, "IT Hasn't Changed," narrated by Michael Jordan, and features current athletes, including Josh Allen, Caitlin Clark, and A'ja Wilson. The campaign uses modern social media integration with custom Instagram filters. But the slogan continues to feature its core message that inner drive matters more than external validation.
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