Ja Morant is currently away from the Memphis Grizzlies, but he also will be away from commercial breaks. According to The Drum, Coca-Cola has pulled Morant’s Powerade campaign ads.
Morant is currently in the fallout from flashing a gun in the strip club on Instagram. He won’t be formally charged, but he is currently serving a suspension that runs through at least 15 games. Adding on, Powerade is pushing pause on their largest campaign in history, “From Underestimated to Undeniable,” which featured Morant. The ads have been pulled from YouTube and social media.
The campaign was set to be a major step forward in Coca-Cola’s aim to battle the power of Gatorade, with the combination of Body Armor.
Ken Sadowsky, a veteran beverage analyst, told The Drum, the controversy is “bad timing” for the brand as it heads into the summer season.
“There’s a lot of activity and growth in the isotonics category, but Coke is now facing a challenge for the umpteenth time. It’s difficult because the 600-pound Gatorade gorilla is pretty good at putting down challengers,” Sadowsky said.
