Dive Brief:
- Gatorade was the big winner of Game One of the NBA finals -- at least on social media.
- When LeBron James, who is a spokesperson for rival Powerade, was carried off the court with cramps, the social media world filled with commentary. Much of it was aimed at Gatorade -- which took advantage of the situation.
- In a series of witty posts that avoided gloating, Gatorade took a number of jabs at James and Powerade (without ever naming the rival).
Dive Insight:
This is one of those moments destined for social-media history. Just like Oreos and its "dunk in the dark" tweet during the Super Bowl blackout, Gatorade proved the advantage of real-time, social-media marketing. It also shows that it's possible for a brand to walk that thin line between exploiting a situation and responding to it.
As Chobani showed us during the Olympics, there are news events that call for a brand to speak on social media, and there are situations in which a brand should hold its tongue.
