Gatorade on Sunday released a refreshed version of its classic “Be Like Mike” commercial, with appearances from Pelican’s Zion Williamson, the Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.
The 30-second spot, which debuted on Twitter shortly before ESPN aired the fifth and sixth episodes of “The Last Dance,” intertwined clips from the original ad with home videos of Williamson, Delle Donne and Tatum playing basketball in their driveways.
We wanted to #BeLikeMike then.
— Gatorade (@Gatorade) May 2, 2020
We want to #BeLikeMike now.
We want to #BeLikeMike forever.⚡️@ZionWilliamson @De11eDonne @JayTatum0 pic.twitter.com/BzBb0PTbz1
The three players, who are rare, exceptional athletes in their own rights, have ties to Michael Jordan.
Williamson and Tatum are signed to the Jordan brand. Meanwhile, Delle Donne — possibly the only player of the trio who can remember watching Jordan soar live — looked up to MJ growing up.
The original “Be Like Mike” campaign, which debuted in 1992, inspired a generation of basketball players to emulate Michael Jordan’s greatness both on and off the court. The hope is that Delle Donne, Williamson and Tatum will do the same for the next generation.
Gatorade also created GIFs from the first “Be Like Mike” ad, which can be found on GIPHY and used on Twitter, and added the “Be Like Mike” jingle to TikTok and Instagram stories.