In 2014, Gatorade was on the eve of its 50th anniversary. As a global market leader, the company wanted to position itself for the future, innovate for its customers in areas such as sports science, and elevate its position as an elite brand for pro athletes.
So when the Brazilian National Football Team asked Gatorade to help them prepare for the World Cup, the goals aligned on a huge opportunity: How could this iconic brand leverage intuitive design, cutting-edge technology, and evolving sports science to boost Brazilian pro-athlete performance—and then apply key learnings to deliver personalized products and services at scale for everyday consumers? They turned to Smart Design to help them move the finish line on what’s possible.
In less than six months, we designed, developed and built a prototype for a first-of-its-kind Sports Fuel Performance System for athletes and their coaches. Although the team didn’t end up winning the World Cup, the pilot opened up new doors for collaboration and innovation, leading to short- and long-term business impact for the company.
