Campaign Imminent: BodyArmor launches first major new product in two years, taps CMO (Score 77)

Sales Lead: With its first major product launch in two years, BodyArmor just made its first foray into the rapid hydration space.

• This product is called the Flash I.V., and BodyArmor hasn't launched a new product since launching its caffeinated sports drink, Edge (though this Edge, of course, doesn't have your back as we do), in February 2021.
• BodyArmor's new product will especially appeal to better-for-you and/or immunocompromised individuals.
  • The new beverage has extra functionality with Zinc, vitamin B, and vitamin C, and it lacks artificial flavors, sweeteners, or dyes, helping it support healthy immune systems.
• The product will face competition from other rapid hydration brands such as Electrolit, PepsiCo's Gatorlyte (a Gatorade beverage), Abbott's Pedialyte Sport, and offerings from smaller, emerging brands.
• Instead of rolling out Flash I.V. nationally, parent company Coca-Cola originally launched it in regional retailers.
  • ​​​​​​​The product will be available in nationwide stores and on sites such as Amazon in 2024.
  • Then, the product will show up in social media, retail activations, and sampling events in local US regions, likely to ramp up to a larger US debut.
• The brand will likely:
  • ​​​​​​​Launch work to promote the new product
  • Shift strategy under a new CMO (more below)
  • Ramp up paid social efforts under another new DM
    • ​​​​​​​Ramp up spend in 2024 to promote this product, so reach out soon to secure last-minute ad dollars
    • ​​​​​​​As I briefly mentioned, upcoming work will include social media content and experiential activations.
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Seek new agency partners
• Target demographic:
  • BFY, especially athletic, Gen-Z and millennial men 

Recent leadership shifts:

• This product launch closely follows BodyArmor's March 2023 appointment of CMO Thomas Gargiulo.
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Before his most recent position as NICKS's COO, Gargiulo was the commercial strategy and marketing activation SVP at KIND.
  • He succeeded Matthew Dzamba, who parted ways with BodyArmor when it hired Garguilo.
  • Dzamba had joined the brand in December 2014 and was promoted to CMO in November 2022.
• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​BodyArmor also named Christian Pierre as its social media and content strategy director in May 2023.
  • ​​​​​​​This appointment signals that the brand is bolstering its paid social initiatives, which is also reflected in the data below.

Additional spending insights:

• Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)
  • YTD spend: Since the beginning of 2023, BodyArmor has spent approximately $3.7m on digital ads, up 19% from the approximately $3.1m spent by this point last year.
  • YTD data: The brand has earned around 454m digital impressions YTD via Instagram (48%), Facebook (39%), YouTube (7%), desktop display (4%), desktop video (1%), and mobile display (1%) ads.
  • Last year: BodyArmor spent roughly $7.7m on this channel in 2022, flat from the roughly $7.7m spent in 2021.
• Additional channel insights  
  • The brand utilizes Google Ads along with print, local broadcast, OOH, digital, radio, digital, Facebook, Instagram, and online video (via Youtube.com) ads.
  • ​​​​​​​As you can tell from the video above, BodyArmor also invests in sports sponsorships with influencers such as Ryan Blaney.
  • BodyArmor sponsors podcasts such as The KVJ Show, The Mens Room Daily Podcast, Steel Curtain Network, The Rush Hour Melbourne Catch Up, and Run to the Top Podcast.

Additional agency insights:

• Opportunity: BodyArmor's new CMO may conduct agency reviews, so reach out soon to get on his radar.
• Current agency roster:
  • Laundry Service​​​​​​​: Creative, digital, and social AOR

Insight Sources: Digital spend insights estimated by Pathmatics; additional channel insights estimated by Vivvix; podcast insights by Podchaser.