Coca-Cola Pulls Ja Morant Powerade Ad After He Gun Incident

By
Andrew
-
0
3
Coca-Cola Pulls Ja Morant Powerade Ad After He Gun Incident


NBA player Yes Morantof the Memphis Grizzlies, appears to be facing more consequences after he shot himself while on Instagram Live on Saturday, March 4. According to The DrumCoca-Cola “wiped” its “biggest campaign” featuring Morant because of his recent actions.

RELATED: UPDATE: Ja Morant will not face criminal charges after shooting a gun on Instagram live

Powerade Spotlighted Ja Morant In Its Biggest Campaign Earlier This Month

On March 1, Coca-Cola announced the 23-year-old NBA player as the face of its latest, and biggest, Powerade campaign, as reported by The Drum. According to the outlet, the campaign is part of the brand’s goal to “displace its competitors in the sports drink category.”

Morant was chosen as Powerade’s first “athlete partner” in more than five years. Additionally, the initiative featured a $10 million national television campaign that would chronicle Moran’s journey “from underrated to undeniable.”

The advertisement will show Morant’s rise from a “high school recruit to league-wide star.”

Why the Brand Chose to Highlight Ja Morant

Powerade was reportedly acquired by its competitor Bodyarmor earlier this year. The intention is for Bodyarmor to take responsibility for the brand, with a “unanimous goal of making Powerade #1.”

Bodyarmor chief marketing officer Matt Dzamba explained the company’s decision to highlight Ja Morant as the face of the $10 million campaign.

“[Morant] was underestimated early in his career — being an unranked high-school recruit with only two college offers — and used that as motivation to become one of the best and most feared players in the NBA today.”

An additional quote shared that the company is “pumped” for the release of the campaign.

“We are excited about the future and have no doubt that Powerade will be a force to be reckoned with and a formidable competitor in the future, as demonstrated by [Morant] every time he passes the court.”

Coca-Cola Pulls the Plug on Morant’s Powerade Commercial

According to The Drum, the first national television spot for Morant’s advertisement is set to “debut on TruTV on March 14 ahead of March Madness, with supporting TV spots airing on TNT, TBS, and CBS.” The commercial is also set to stream via “NCAA March Madness Live, Xbox, Roku, and Twitch.”

However, due to Morant’s recent shooting of a gun on Instagram Live, the company pulled its 60-second ad starring the player. The Drum has reported that Coca-Cola has made public ad videos private on its social media platforms.

Drew Kerr, a brand communications consultant spoke exclusively to the outlet. He shares what he thinks Coca-Cola should do going forward.

“The best thing for Coke to do is say as little as possible. Coke should say it will pause its Powerade advertising until it can confirm the facts of what’s going on. That pause may last a short time but it sends a message that they are taking the situation seriously. They don’t have to give anything away at this time.”

More Details About Livestream Where Ja Morant Was Seen With Gun

Count The Shade Room previously reported, Morant will not face criminal charges after shooting a gun via Instagram Live on March 4.

The live stream, which occurred from a Colorado strip club, was investigated by the Glendale Police Department. However, “authorities have determined that no one was threatened or threatened with a firearm.” The police never “found” a gun either.

On March 8, the Memphis Grizzlies released a statement explaining that Morant would be suspended for the team’s next four games.

Roommates, what do you think of the additional consequences facing Ja Morant?