In the brand’s first-ever global integrated marketing campaign, Powerade will give athletes the inspiration and ability to “Keep Playing,” through a comprehensive campaign highlighted by an innovative online experience and the presence of Powerade on the pitch during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa.

The campaign theme “Keep Playing” alludes to the insight that passionate sports players love the game of football and never want a great game to end. FIFA has officially designated Powerade as “Chosen by FIFA to Hydrate 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Players.”

During the month long tournament Powerade will be pitch side at all 10 venues, hydrating 736 players from 32 countries before, during and after all 64 games, from the opening game between South Africa and Mexico on June 11, all the way through to the Final in Johannesburg on July 10, 2010. A specially designed sports drink bottle from Powerade also was unveiled yesterday that will be seen on pitch at the matches this summer.

England striker Wayne Rooney, commenting on the designation said, “For me, hydration tools such as Powerade are a vital part of my kit bag and they really help me to keep up performance levels, whether in training or during matches.”

Powerade also unveiled a novel experience online that depicts what happens inside the human body when faced with different physical and mental scenarios while playing football. The digital film hosted on www.youtube.com/powerade, showcases a ‘never-ending’ football game played around the world and allows a viewer to click on certain frames for a “deep-dive” look at what is happening inside the minds and bodies of the characters. In one example, a viewer can follow the course of Powerade inside a player’s body to see how various organ functions are impacted and learn how nutrient delivery enhances performance. The “deep-dive” technique is a relatively new approach in digital film creation.