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The hits just keep on coming for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been suspended from the NBA after flashing a gun on Instagram Live. But this time, Morant isn’t facing consequences set by the league. Instead, he appears to have compromised his endorsement bag as Coca-Cola, which recently acquired Powerade, has pulled an ad featuring Morant from all of Powerade’s social media platforms.
From HypeBeast:
In the midst of his suspension, Coca-Cola has pulled its Powerade add that spotlighted Morant. The campaign was said to be the company’s largest in the brand’s history. The Drum reports that the brand, which released a 60-second ad starring Morant earlier this month, has made the video ad private on all it’s social media platforms. The ad has now also disappeared from YouTube.
Morant’s controversy comes at an inopportune time for Coca-Cola as it recently acquired BodyArmor and Powerade to take on electrolyte beverage giant, Gatorade. Morant’s ad was meant to relaunch Powerade and became the first athlete partnership for the brand in over five years. The campaign was titled, “From Underestimated to Undeniable” and garnered a large number of funds and resources to relaunch Powerade into the sports world.
As previously reported, Morant apologized to his “family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization” for his IG shenanigans, but the question now is—will taking “full responsibility” stop other brands from staying away from the NBA star?
Nike entered a deal with Morant last year, and now you have to wonder if the company will give Morant the same treatment it gave Kyrie Irving. But for now, Morant appears to be safe from that outcome. According to ESPN, Nike said in a statement, “We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support the prioritization of his well-being.”
