Gatorade recruited Sebastián as one of its official athletes in Puerto Rico. Sebastián is a young man with born with spastic quadriparesis who has very limited control of his extremities. Barred from competing in a road race when he was 15 years old, he decided to organize his own and he vowed to finish the entire 5K on his own. As part of the sponsorship the brand provided him with a special hydration system for his race, a film with his story, participation in their advertising efforts, and a commemorative packaging. Then, on December 20 2015, Sebastián finally achieved his long time goal.

Gatorade positively impacted the industry by generating great content to bring the inclusion of all kinds of athletes into everybody’s conversation.

Months previous to the date of the event, advertising efforts featuring Sebastián were launched and the video with his story was aired both on social media and TV. At the end, it invited the audience to join Sebastián in the race.

On the date of the event, December 20 2015, Gatorade provided Sebastián with a hydration system, live social media coverage of his route to the finish line, a walker with a canopy, and placed outdoor advertising throughout the race course.

A camera crew in a branded van was recording Sebastián’s every step.

Sebastián walked the entire race achieving the goal he had set for himself. It took him 5 hours, 3 minutes.

Today, he’s the world’s only athlete with cerebral palsy to finish a 5K race with a special walker.

Sebastián’s story became the most-watched online video in the history of Gatorade Puerto Rico, surpassing those of Messi and Serena Williams.

The event raised $40K.

Sports attract media coverage and huge audiences like no other subject. As the leader in the sports drinks market and sponsor of the world’s top athletes, Gatorade wanted to spark the debate about inclusion in the sporting world. So we combined sports with a great real life story to create engaging content with a perception-changing message of what a special athlete really is.

All athletes are special because of their commitment and sacrifice. All of them deserve recognition, not only those on the “elite level”.

That’s why Gatorade decided to sponsor Sebastián, so he could be a trigger for conversations around inclusion and diversity in the world of sports. The brand showed the audience how Sebastián beat the sun, the rain, and extreme fatigue to fulfill his dream, so they could see for themselves what a great he is. He might not be an elite one like the ones big sports brands usually favor, but he certainly has an elite level of determination, and that is the true meaning behind Gatorade’s slogan: Win from Within.

Media planning was developed to reach the largest possible number of people and to quickly start the debate about inclusion and diversity in the world of sports. That’s why social media was the main outlet.

Mainstream media sports’ coverage is almost exclusively dedicated to professional sports and elite athletes. Brands in this segment have the same approach. Another industry that’s still rooted in traditional methods is the Puerto Rican main media. Brand messages are mostly limited to 30-second spots. Therefore, unconventional ideas often get killed due to these restrictions. Advertisers often have to find clever ways to deliver their message in refreshing and unexpected ways. But Gatorade was determined to make a stand against exclusion in sports. The brand wanted to send a powerful message to draw attention to this issue.