LeBron James helps PepsiCo take Lifewtr in new creative direction

LeBron James’ passions beyond basketball—including philanthropy, art, business and family—are the focus of his debut work for PepsiCo’s Lifewtr brand.

The “More to Life” campaign, out today, kicks off a brand refresh for Lifewtr meant to inspire consumers to nurture their whole selves. James demonstrates as much in advertising that has him narrating what is important to him beyond basketball, including fitness, relaxation, charity and family. VaynerMedia handled the creative.

PepsiCo, which inked James to a major endorsement deal in 2021, has made broad use of the Los Angeles Lakers star, having previously cast him in marketing for its Mtn Dew and Ruffles brands. James was a particularly good match for Lifewtr, as both the brand and the star could bring out one another’s unseen dimensions, according to Justin Toman, head of sports marketing for PepsiCo.

When aligning a brand with a partner, “we’ll go through this process of saying what are our brand’s business and community goals and objectives, and externally try to match that with the right partner that has similar brand business and community priorities, and find an intersection,” Toman said. “We looked at Lifewtr, and what we were trying to do with the brand, and this campaign specifically, and it just made so much sense. There’s more to Lifewtr’s product, and there’s much more to Lebron than just his on-court success, than many people know.”

With “More to Life,” PepsiCo wants to highlight the “functional hydration” of Lifewtr, whereas previously it pitched the premium water brand behind the notion of inspiring creativity. “That’s still part of the brand’s DNA, but as we look forward … we think there’s a bigger runway to play in the functional hydration benefits of the product that’s always been there,” Toman said.

The campaign is also paving the way for the brand’s newly designed bottles which now read “Whole Body Hydration” beneath the logo and highlight a product story including an enhanced filtration process, electrolytes for taste, and a balanced pH. The new bottles hitting stores in the coming weeks will have consistent artwork by Italian-born cross-disciplinary artist Michela Picchi. That marks a change from the rotating artists the brand previously featured. 

The James ad, which will run on digital channels such as Hulu and YouTube, is heading a multifaceted campaign that will include a national retail push in March and a “buy, scan, win” program with prizes that include custom artist-painted Nike LeBron XX shoes, a subscription to the meditation app Calm and Beats Studio3 Wireless over-ear headphones.

Lifewtr will also distribute more than $100,000 in grants to support people who want to pursue more in their lives, Toman said. The program will focus first on students from James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio.

Seen as a competitor to Coca-Cola’s Smartwater, PepsiCo introduced Lifewtr in 2017. Its previous endorsers have included pop star Doja Cat, and actresses Issa Rae and Marsai Martin.

James' Lifwtr campaign comes as he will take center stage at this weekend's NBA All-Star game. PepsiCo is a league sponsor and its brands are backing several All-Star events. Its new Starry lemon-lime soda is the title sponsor of the 3-point contest and Ruffles has its name on the celebrity game, for instance.

Starry will be making its television debut Feb. 18 during the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night. The VaynerMedia ad shows actress Keke Palmer sitting courtside at an NBA game. Starry's animated mascots, Lem and Lime, offer her a Starry, which leads to what the brand calls "a love story for the ages" between Palmer and a man made of soda. Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey looks on in surprise.