Pinoys share spotlight with global icons

Manny Pacquiao used to be the only Filipino athlete to share the spotlight with global sports icons like Kobe Bryant, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Xiang Liu, Cristiano Ronaldo. At the height of his boxing career, Pacquiao was featured in a Hollywood billboard and in world-wide TV ads. He was a widely sought-out endorser for international brands.

Now that Pacquiao has retired from boxing, he’s focused on his political career. His recent win over Timothy Bradley, however, has fueled speculation that he may make a comeback, sooner or later, if the right opponent comes along. Pacquiao, 37, can still fight at a high level. He may choose to compete in the coming Olympics or go for a ninth world title in a ninth weight category with a battle against WBC middleweight champion Saul Alvarez or seek revenge on Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in a rematch. So it appears that Pacquiao’s days as a global sports icon are far from over.

But what should warm Pacquiao’s heart is he’s blazed the trail for other Filipino sports stars to follow. PBA star Terrence Romeo and volleyball queen Alyssa Valdez are the latest to join global sports icons on the same stage. They’re featured in a recently-produced Gatorade TV ad with 21-time Grand Slam tennis singles champion Serena Williams and six-time Olympic track gold medalist Usain Bolt.

The ad draws attention to Gatorade’s status as the world’s No. 1 sports drink with four star athletes coming out to endorse the product that was developed in 1965 by a team of research scientists at the University of Florida. It is said that the Florida Gators varsity football coach Ray Graves asked the scientists to whip up a drink for rehydration. The result was a mixture of water, sodium, sugar, potassium, phosphate and lemon juice. That was the first concoction for Gatorade which in 1967, became a product of Stokely-Van Camp, an American canned food packaging company known for baked beans.

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Quaker Oats bought Stokely-Van Camp in 1983 then Pepsi took it over in 2000. Gatorade was part of every deal that changed ownership and today, enjoys 75 percent market share of sports drinks in the US. Gatorade is now distributed in 80 countries and it’s No. 1 in the Philippines, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico and many more. It was introduced in Southeast Asia in 1988.

Among Gatorade’s endorsers are Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods. In 1985, the New York Giants began a championship tradition called the Gatorade shower or dunk where players douse their coach, when he’s not looking, with ice and the drink from a large cooler. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has taken the Gatorade shower and so have many other title coaches.

In 1991, Gatorade ran a hugely popular ad campaign centered on Jordan with the line “Be Like Mike.” Last year, on its 50th anniversary, Gatorade revived the “Be Like Mike” campaign and once more, captured the imagination of sports fans and athletes all over the world. Gatorade is the official sports drink of the NBA, WNBA, USA Basketball, Major League Soccer, the Association of Volleyball Professionals and many others so its credibility is unquestioned.

For Romeo and Valdez to be picked as endorsers by an iconic brand like Gatorade is quite an honor. And to be in the same ad as Williams and Bolt has to be a major milestone in their careers. The ad is dramatic, thumping to the beat of “Wicked Ones” by Dorothy. The first scene shows Williams on the court with absolutely no one else in the open-air stadium, then Valdez, Romeo and Bolt in that order. The switching is fast-paced. Williams is shown elevating for a serve and in the next clip, it’s Valdez rising for a spike.

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The Filipino stars are shown working out in the gym and in live action. Valdez hammers the ball at the net over two La Salle defenders while Romeo executes a killer cross-over, leaving Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chih Chieh with broken ankles, then penetrates to score over Quincy Davis during Gilas’ 77-69 win over the hometown squad at the Jones Cup in Taiwan last year.

The ad calls to mind that Gatorade rehydrates the body, replenishes lost fluids and refuels fatigued muscles. If stars like Williams, Bolt, Romeo and Valdez can sustain their energy with Gatorade, imagine what the drink can do for athletes who aren’t as phenomenal. Pepsico Philippines marketing manager for hydration Tony Atayde said it’s no surprise why Gatorade chose the four to be featured in the latest campaign.

“We are synonymous with sports excellence which is why only the best of the best join our ranks,” he said. “When top-flight athletes and active individuals want to play at high levels, nothing beats Gatorade in rehydrating, replenishing and refuelling the body. It’s our duty to spread the word of proper hydration to athletes all over the country. Proper hydration is our advocacy and our commitment. It is a building block that Gatorade was built on. More than anything else, our latest commercial is a reminder to everyone that to perform your best, absolutely nothing beats Gatorade.”

Romeo, 24, is now on his third season with GlobalPort in the PBA. He’s a shoo-in for the Gilas squad that will play at the FIBA Olympic qualifiers here in July. Valdez, 22, is a three-time UAAP senior women’s volleyball MVP with Ateneo. They’re two of the most dynamic young stars in Philippine sports today.