Gatorade facts for kids
The Gatorade logo, produced by TBWA\Chiat\Day
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| Type | Sports drink Nutrition bar Protein drink Other sports nutrition products |
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| Owner | PepsiCo (via Quaker Oats Company) |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | September 9, 1965 |
| Markets | 80 countries including the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Australia |
| Previous owners | Robert Cade Stokely-Van Camp |
Gatorade is a well-known American brand that makes sports drinks and other food products for athletes. PepsiCo makes these drinks, and you can find them in over 80 countries around the world.
The first Gatorade drink was created in 1965. A group of scientists, led by Robert Cade, developed it. They made it for the Gators football team at the University of Florida. The goal was to help the players get back the carbohydrates they used up during games. It also replaced the water and electrolytes (important minerals like salt) they lost when they sweated a lot.
After its creation, Stokely-Van Camp started producing and selling Gatorade in 1965. Later, in 1983, the Quaker Oats Company bought the brand. Then, in 2000, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats, which included Gatorade. Gatorade is now one of PepsiCo's biggest brands. It competes with other sports drinks like Powerade and Vitaminwater. In the United States, Gatorade is the most popular sports drink.
Contents
What are the Main Gatorade Flavors?
Gatorade comes in many different flavors. Here are some of the most popular ones:
How Gatorade is Advertised and Endorsed
Gatorade is the official sports drink for many major sports leagues. This includes NASCAR, the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also partners with the National Hockey League (NHL) and other sports groups. Gatorade provides drinks to these teams.
In 2008, Gatorade became available in the U.K. This happened when they made a deal to be the official sports drink for the Chelsea F.C. football club.
One of Gatorade's most famous ad campaigns was in 1991. It was called "Be Like Mike" and featured Michael Jordan. He was a basketball superstar for the Chicago Bulls. These ads became very popular in America.
Today, Gatorade still works with famous athletes to promote its products. Some of these athletes include Derek Jeter (baseball), Sidney Crosby (hockey), Dwyane Wade (basketball), Tiger Woods (golf), and Peyton Manning (football).
Gatorade in Movies and TV Shows
Gatorade is often seen in movies and TV shows, especially those about sports. The most famous example is the "Gatorade shower." This is when players on a winning American football team surprise their coach. They pour a cooler full of Gatorade and ice over his head!
This tradition became popular in the mid-1980s. Players from the New York Giants started doing it to their coach, Bill Parcells. It quickly spread to other sports teams.
Gatorade is also often used in media to represent sports drinks in general. For example, in the movie The Waterboy, a character says that "the water sucks" and Gatorade is much better.
Images for kids
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An older version of the Gatorade logo, used from 1973 to 2009.
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Lemon-lime Gatorade in a glass bottle from around the 1970s.
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This flavor was first called Gatorade Ice in 2002. It was renamed Gatorade Rain in 2006 and then No Excuses in 2009.
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The Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Illinois.
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Professional cyclist Gianni Bugno during the 1993 Tour de France as part of Team Gatorade.
See also
In Spanish: Gatorade para niños
