Optimum Nutrition Uses NIL to Promote New Product Launch
By Brendan Bell
Last Updated on December 16, 2021
Behind every great athlete is a commitment to good nutrition to fuel them in their performance on the field, court, or pitch. We as fans and observers of college athletics often only see the tip of the iceberg of the dedication student athletes have for their respective sports. On top of all of the countless hours of practice, workouts, and film review, nutrition is essential for supporting an athlete’s ability to maximize their performance.
One company that helps athletes do just that is Optimum Nutrition. Part of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition is a leading global sports nutrition brand that produces a wide variety of delicious, high-quality nutritional foods and beverages that support an active and healthy lifestyle. Looking to grow their brand through the avenue of NIL, the company has tapped student athletes to introduce one of its new hydration drinks.
To launch the new Orange Blast flavor of its popular AMIN.O. ENERGY Plus Electrolytes Sparkling Hydration Drink, Optimum Nutrition will work with student athletes at the University of Texas. Partnering with student athletes across an array of sports including basketball, swimming and track and field, Optimum Nutrition is one of the first brands to leverage multiple NIL relationships within a single school’s athletic program.
Here are the student athletes who will participate in the campaign:
- Christian Bishop, basketball forward
- Drew Kibler, swimmer and three-time medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games
- Chanel Brissett, track and field hurdler and sprinter and silver medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games
As part of the partnership, these three student athletes will be featured in social and digital media promoting the Optimum Nutrition AMIN.O. Energy beverage, with a nod to the connection between the newest flavor launch, Orange Blast, and a favorite color in the state. The integrated campaign from Optimum Nutrition also will feature content from current student and alumni social influencers, and distribution of 10,000 samples of the “anytime energy” beverage on and around campus in Austin during major sporting events, finals week, recreational sports activity, and other appropriate use-case moments.
“Optimum Nutrition is proud to support these college athletes as they strive to reach their performance goals in their chosen sport, in the classroom and beyond.” said Jim Hogan, senior brand director at Optimum Nutrition. “ON supports and recognizes athletes at every level for their dedication and commitment to achieving their personal best.”
“The new NIL policy is an exciting opportunity for student athletes to be rewarded for all the hard work they put in,” said swimmer Drew Kibler. “For me, when it comes to partnering with brands, I want to try to find brands that align with my goals, and Optimum Nutrition is a brand that helps me get to where I want to be.”
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if more of these NIL deals between student athletes and nutrition & wellness companies come to fruition. What better way for a company to grow their brand through the endorsements from highly talented Division I student athletes at a high profile school like Texas? If the new Orange Blast flavor of their widely popular drink is good enough for these three student athletes, it’s probably good enough for most of us just trying to maintain good health and stay in shape.
