As a huge fan of the NBA and an even bigger fan of marketing, it was exciting for me to watch real-time social media cleverness unfold on Twitter during last night’s NBA Finals. As a resident of San Antonio, I was lucky enough to be at the scorching arena last night for what might be known as the hottest NBA Final since the old Boston Garden in 1984, where my beloved Celtics won their 15th championship.
Being in attendance at the AT&T Center last night, I can attest to how hot it was – I felt for the players. While I have my own opinions on the actual game, as many do, I’ll keep that commentary to Twitter – much like Gatorade did last night. In the height of what has been deemed the biggest storyline of the night, Gatorade entertained and engaged their audience.
As the Miami Heat’s star, LeBron James, started to cramp in the fourth quarter and ultimately take a seat for the remainder of the game, criticism started flooding in to Gatorade on Twitter. These trolling fans had one problem – Gatorade doesn’t back LeBron, that’s Powerade’s territory. In response, Gatorade navigated these choppy waters with some clever remarks, tactfully dishing out zingers while being careful not to damage their relationship with the NBA or LeBron’s teammate, Dwyane Wade, who is sponsored by Gatorade.
Below is just a small sample of some of the Gatorade’s best Twitter responses from last night – well done, Gatorade.
