Gatorade 'Origins' Campaign Visits Victory Lane to Tell Story of How Revolutionary In-Car Drinking System Fuels Stock Car Champions

Gatorade 'Origins' Campaign Visits Victory Lane to Tell Story of How Revolutionary In-Car Drinking System Fuels Stock Car Champions

Matt Kenseth, Buddy Baker and Keith Jackson Star in the True Story of How Gatorade is Helping to Defeat Dehydration on the Race Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- After placing a spotlight on football's gridiron and the grueling Ironman race course, Gatorade focuses in on the checkered flag in the most recent installment of the documentary-style "Origins" ad series, which recounts authentic stories in which Gatorade made a difference for athletes. The new 60-second spot, which debuts February 19th during the 2006 Daytona 500 on NBC, tells the true story of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute's work with Matt Kenseth and other drivers to help them understand their unique hydration needs, and how this research led to the development of the Gatorade In-Car Drinking System (G.I.D.S.), the most highly advanced in-car hydration system ever used in the sport of stock car racing.

The new spot, called "G.I.D.S.," recounts Kenseth's hydration struggles, his dehydration-related crash at Charlotte in 1999 and how testing at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) coupled with the development of G.I.D.S. was a driving force behind his 2003 points championship. Along with Kenseth, the spot features former driver and broadcaster Buddy Baker, who was announcing the race during Matt's crash in 1999; Dr. Bob Murray, an exercise physiologist and director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, who helped design G.I.D.S. and was the architect behind Matt's personalized hydration strategy; and a stock car emergency medical technician, who has witnessed the results of driver dehydration first-hand. Legendary sports broadcaster, Keith Jackson, who has narrated every spot in the "Origins" series, is back to tell this incredible story.

"G.I.D.S. became a chapter in the Origins series because it's a perfect authentic example of how Gatorade helps athletes perform at their best," said Cindy Alston, vice president, communications and equity development for Gatorade. "With the hydration expertise of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and the scientifically proven formula of Gatorade, we've been able to provide drivers with a solution that helps them stay properly hydrated on the race track."

"During a race, my car is like an oven with temperatures exceeding 130 degrees. After my experience at Charlotte, I knew I needed to solve my problems with dehydration by making big changes to my in-race drinking strategy," said 2003 points champion Matt Kenseth. "Working with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, I learned drivers can lose up to ten pounds of sweat during a race, so I wanted to understand how that affected my body and what I needed to do to prevent it from happening. In 2003, we won the championship and there's no doubt that staying hydrated played a major role in our team's performance."

The spot is a follow up to the first three "Origins" ads which chronicled Gatorade Thirst Quencher's birth at the University of Florida, its rise to prominence on NFL sidelines with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 1970 Super Bowl and its role in the triumphant return of world-class Australian triathlete Chris Legh at the 2004 Coeur d'Alene Ironman after his near fatal collapse just meters from the finish of the 1997 Hawaii Ironman. The commercial was created by Element79 Partners and directed by Waren Kushner.

For more than 30 years, Gatorade has had a significant presence in the sport of stock car racing fueling driver's thirst and hydration needs. Through the branding of Gatorade Victory Lane at 13 tracks on the Cup circuit and the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, the brand has become one of the most prominent names in the sport. Gatorade also has long-standing relationships with Cup star drivers Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth.

Gatorade

Gatorade(R) Thirst Quencher, the nation's leading sports drink, is backed by 35 years of research. Gatorade is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. Gatorade is the official sports drink of the NFL, NBA, WNBA, AVP, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and numerous professional, collegiate and amateur teams and events throughout the world. Gatorade is manufactured by QTG (Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade), a division of PepsiCo. For more information, visit http://www.gatorade.com/ .

Source: Gatorade

CONTACT: Adam Tanielian for Gatorade, +1-312-751-3531,
tanielia@fleishman.com

Web site: http://www.gatorade.com/

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