Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark is adding Gatorade to her growing portfolio of name, image and likeness partnerships.
Clark’s deal with Gatorade — which reportedly includes a stipulation that the company commits $22,000 to the Caitlin Clark Foundation — is one of a growing list that includes recent addition State Farm, as well as deals with Buick, Bose, H&R Block and Hy-Vee.
In a 45-second ad reel released by Gatorade Tuesday, images of Clark playing basketball from a young age are overlaid with Clark’s voice stating, “I was once that little Iowa girl who was inspired to dream big, real big,” Clark says in the 45-second reel. “And that dream was more than women’s basketball. It was possibility that I turned into reality. I’m still that girl from Iowa. But now, it’s my turn to inspire. If I can drop 40, you can drop 50. If we can draw 56,000 fans, you can draw 57. If I can sign with Gatorade, you can too.”
Gatorade calls the campaign “a message from her to the next generation of hoopers, inspiring them to strive for greatness on and off the court.”
“At Gatorade, we take pride in our elite athlete roster and have had the privilege of fueling some of the greatest athletes of all time,” Gatorade’s global head of sports marketing, Jeff Kearney, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be a part of Caitlin’s journey to greatness early in her career and look forward to building upon the incredible impact she’s already made.”
Clark is the fourth college athlete, and only the second female college athlete, to sign with Gatorade, joining UConn guard Paige Bueckers, Penn State running back Nick Singleton and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
“This partnership is special because not only does Gatorade fuel the best athletes in the game, but they’re also committed to leading by example and giving back, which is what I strive to do every day,” Clark said in the news release. “I’m honored to join such an iconic brand that has some of the most elite athletes in sport on their roster and can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
Clark boosted her name recognition after bringing the Hawkeyes to the national championship game last season. This season, Iowa has earned a No. 4 ranking in the Associated Press poll behind a 10-1 record.
Last week, Clark became the 15th Division I women’s basketball player to pass the 3,000-point mark. Last year’s national player of the year has 3,041 career points, with an average of 29.5 points, 7.4 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game this season.
–Field Level Media