Throwback Thursday: Messi and Suárez turn bitter rivals in this Gatorade ad
On Thursdays, we revisit ads from the yesteryears to see how much has changed in ad sensibilities over the years
Football fans all over the world went ballistic when they saw Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi pose for a photograph together for Louis Vuitton. It's not often that one sees arch-rivals coming together for an ad. What about friends?
For Throwback Thursday, we go back four years ago in 2018 when energy drink company Gatorade cashed in on the legendary friendship between Messi and Luis Suárez. As fate would have it, "everything changed."
The campaign, incidentally, was also the brand's biggest one internationally in its five-decade-long history. It was released during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
It's common knowledge that Argentinian and Uruguayan football greats enjoyed great camaraderie both on and off the field, especially during their time together in FC Barcelona. However, their friendship is tested when the two athletes are pitted against each other when they have to play in different teams.
The ad begins with moments of Messi and Suárez celebrating a goal and the two even clicking a selfie on the field. "With my friend the GOAT" Suarez captions the picture on Instagram.
Soon, there's an announcement on TV news that the two will now be in different teams as the "European season has come to a close." There's a sudden shift in Suárez and Messi's temperaments as their friendship now takes a more sinister turn.
An intense rivalry now brews as the two gear up for "Football Frenzy." They go toe-to-toe while training, one-upping each other at every given chance. After thwarting Suárez's goal on the pitch, Messi finds himself beaten by his former friend on a workout cycle.
The bitterness now spills over on social media as Messi "unfollows" Suárez on Instagram, provoking shocked reactions everywhere.
Just when we thought this is as far as the two could go, Messi is posed a question by a journalist: "What's your relationship with Suárez?"
The Argentine doesn't hold back and states emphatically: "Complicado!"
Stunned by Messi's admission, Suárez stares back, and that's when things go from serious to seriously petty.
In rapid succession, follow all the transgressions these two commit against each other: Suárez destroys all their framed photos together; Messi lets his dog take a leak on his friend's front lawn; Suárez sells Messi's used jersey from his collection on eBay for a mere $2; the two kick balls at targets with each other's faces on them; taunts subtle and overt follow.
Then comes the game night when the two rivals face each other in the light of their changed equation. The two exchange embittered glances when the caption is splayed across the screen: "Everything changes, except what is inside them." The two take a coordinated swig of Gatorade Football Energy, the brand's first sport-specific product.
The ad showcases the comedic timings and nuanced acting from both players as go throw a rollercoaster ride of emotions-- from Messi's smugness to Suárez's pained resentfulness. The ad manages to keep the viewer invested as the friendship turns into a rivalry of epic proportions.
Some football fans called the ad a prophecy, which predicted the fate of FC Barcelona. Both Messi and Suárez play for different clubs today.
The integrated campaign ran across several Latin American countries, the US, Asia, Western Europe and Mexico. It saw iterations beyond TV in print, digital, social media and point-of-sale.
