Powerade Embraces College Stars to Stand Out From Gatorade

Coca-Cola’s Powerade sports drink brand is making a big push into college sports, signing about three dozen top college athletes to endorsement deals, including top-ranked University of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.

A marketing campaign will focus on a group of football stars that includes Louisiana State University quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, University of Southern California wide receiver Zachariah Branch and University of Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson. The brand has signed more than 35 college athletes to name, image and likeness deals to “further amplify the campaign’s footprint.”

With rivals such as PepsiCo Inc.’s Gatorade and Prime Hydration having agreements ...