BodyArmor to Debut First TV Commercial During NBA Playoffs

BodyArmor will debut its first TV spot Wednesday night with a 30-second commercial designed by retired L.A. Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. The commercial, which will air on TNT during the NBA playoffs, kicks off a multimillion dollar ad campaign that is set to be the sports drink brand’s largest to date.

Bryant, a shareholder in BodyArmor, serves as creative director on the ad campaign and narrates the new commercial, which will air throughout the rest of the playoffs on TNT, ESPN, and ABC. In addition to Bryant, whose voice-over praises the “obsession” athletes tap into to become champions, the ad features nine other athletes, all of whom are also shareholders in BodyArmor, including Dustin Johnson, Mike Trout, James Harden, Andrew Luck, Anthony Rizzo, Dez Bryant, Richard Sherman, Skylar Diggins, and Kristaps Porzingis.

“I have a lot of respect for every BodyArmor athlete,” Bryant said. “For me, it’s easy to work with our family of athletes because we all believe in this product and this Obsession message. When you have a superior product and a distinct message, everything comes together easily.”

The “Obsession” campaign also includes a digital and social media componentand will be promoted on ESPN.com, Bleacher Report, and COMPLEX.

“Kobe has been involved in BodyArmor since 2013 and his fingerprints are all over the brand,” company co-founder and chairman Mike Repole said. “He has a great creative mind and has had ideas for BodyArmor marketing campaigns for years. Given our distribution now and continued growth here in 2017, it’s the right time to drive awareness with a massive campaign. Kobe has a great vision for the brand and brings the point-of-view/pedigree of an elite athlete, so that most certainly influences a unique approach to our creative development.”

In addition to the TV spot, each of the athletes featured in the commercial have recorded individual videos that take deeper looks at their individual training regimens, which will be released online throughout the summer and spring.

The campaign comes after a year of significant growth for BodyArmor. In 2016, sales grew by 154 percent and the brand shows no signs of slowing down. The company reported that sales Q1 of 2017 surpassed that in all of 2015. Q1 also saw the launch of new flavors, 28 oz. packaging options, and BodyArmor Lyte, a low-calorie variety sweetened with sugar, stevia, and erythritol.

The “Obsession is Natural” ad is available to view online at YouTube.