We just spotted the new Lucozade Sports Nutrition Ad in Triathlon 220 (June 2009).

Darwin would be proud. Lucozade keeps evolving.

Lucozade, the traditional UK health tonic (GSK Nutrition), that was developed into a modern sports drink with the addition of the Lucozade Sports subbrand and range has now taken one more step in its brand evolution:  The message is clear. Lucozade Sports has EVOLVED. It’s more advance than it ever has been before. For a brand that began in realms of the medical, the Sports suffix clarified Lucozade’s energy positioning. Now we see a proliferation of line extensions so the brand offers something for everyone serious about their sport.

That said, Lucozade have stayed true to their mass-market roots, they’ve not over-complicated and I feel sure this brand will fly from the grocery shelves as an easily understood entry point to the Category for those trying Sports Nutrition for the first time.

Sam Waterfall

Healthy Marketing Team Analysis:

GSK Nutrition have used the sub brand “Nutrition” to the already established Lucozade Sports as a way to enter the fast growing Sports Nutrition market. This strategy is opposed to creating a new brand which often is a very costly operation. But in order to communicate a new benefit or to enter a new category with an established brand you must make sure it is trusted by consumers to deliver the new competence. Good examples of this brand strategy is eg Danone Actimel where Danone stands for healthy dairy products and Actimel adds the active probiotic benefits.  (See Danone Actimel case study and “Factor Four: Trust the Brand”  in “Wennström´s FourFactors of Success!”