Fernando Tatis Jr. was compared to New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter by Gatorade after the San Diego Padres superstar signed a deal to endorse the iconic sports drink.
Pepsi-owned Gatorade announced this week that Tatis will promote its Bolt24 drink in an upcoming ad campaign scheduled for a rollout next month.
Jeff Kearney, Gatorade’s global head of sports marketing, likened how bringing Tatis into the fold is a reminder of why Jeter became such a high-profile endorser of the brand.
“Jeter had such swagger,” Kearney said, per CNBC. “Walking on the diamond, you just knew he was somebody, and if you didn’t know who he was, you knew he was important. I think Tatis brings that.”
Tatis unsurprisingly was flattered by the comparison.
“The thing I like about him is how he managed himself,” Tatis said of Jeter. “How everybody respects him and how at the end of his career, one of the things that touched me is how he retired, an eternal captain of his team.”
MLB fans likely recall how Gatorade gave Jeter a fantastic send-off ahead of his retirement in 2014 with its “Made in New York” ad campaign in which “The Captain” was fittingly celebrated.
Along with Tatis, Gatorade has locked down a handful of other big-time athletes, including Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard and PGA Tour golfer Matthew Wolfe.
“Just the history that they’ve been a part of,” Tatis said of joining the esteemed list of athletes who have endorsed Gatorade. “Joining the family, Michael Jordan and all those big names, the brand speaks for itself. It’s just great all the way around. I feel like it will benefit everybody all the way around.”
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