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April 1, 2008
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Coke Switches LeBron To Vitaminwater Brand, Adds Peterson

James To Endorse Coca-Cola's Vitaminwater

Coca-Cola is having Cavaliers F LeBron James "switch from pitching Powerade to Vitaminwater," which was acquired by Coca-Cola when it bought Glaceau for $4.1B last year, according to Darren Rovell of CNBC.com. Glaceau Senior VP/Marketing Rohan Oza said that James is a "powerful icon that can help Vitaminwater in the future" and his endorsements work "because they are more authentic than some others." Oza: "Every athlete that supports Vitaminwater has to be a fan first. LeBron was drinking it in high school. As soon as we heard about it, we knew that it was a natural fit. That's what's made Vitaminwater so successful over the years." Oza would not say what James will do with Vitaminwater, but Rovell writes there could be "some sort of flavor." A new ad due out soon will feature James as a defense attorney. Rovell: "Perhaps it's impossible for a sports endorsement to work with a drink, but my sense is that James hasn't done much with Powerade so far." Beverage Digest reported that in '07 Powerade's volume grew 15% at retail, while Gatorade was down 0.9%. Meanwhile, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson also has signed with Vitaminwater (CNBC.com, 3/31).

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