Ep 4. Gatorade x Athlete Creators

This week, we’re diving into a brand and creator partnership inspired by creators who work with Crowdwork Media: Anthony Crouchelli, Allen Ye, & Chris Chung (Hellah Sidibe was also just a great creator but does not work with Crowdwork).

In this issue:

• 📅 Upcoming Events": The next big creator & marketing gathering you won’t want to miss. Don’t forget to sign up!

• 🏀 Creator x Brand Collaboration: Breaking down how Gatorade can evolve its brand through creator-led storytelling and activations.

• 🎬 Brand & Creator Strategies: What both marketers and creators can take away from this idea and leverage in their own content or for high-level content partnerships.

You might’ve noticed a few design changes and hopefully you’re into them because I’m really trying to make this a fun, engaging read from the content to the visuals. Every detail is intentional, so let me know if it’s hitting the mark!

P.S. If you have any creator or marketing friends who might find this interesting, please share it with them! I started this from 0, and we’ve already grown to 1,000+ readers and interested event attendees purely through organic outreach, let’s keep building!

FROM BRACKETS TO BUZZ:

The Power Of Social In March Madness

🏀 Tentative Date: April 2nd (subject to change) 🏀

The NCAA Tournament isn’t just about the games, it’s about the viral moments, real-time engagement, and digital storytelling that captivate millions. From buzzer-beaters to bracket-busters, March Madness is one of the biggest sports marketing moments of the year.

This event will explore how social media fuels the madness, from athlete-driven content to brand campaigns that break through the noise.

CREATOR SPOTLIGHT:

Brought to us by CrowdWork Media!

• Anthony Crouchelli: IG 61K Followers

• Allen Ye:  IG / TT 510K Followers

• Chris Chung:  IG 50K Followers

• Hellah Sidibe: IG / TT / YT 1.01M Followers

THE CONCEPT:

For 60 years, Gatorade has fueled the world’s top athletes, but in the era of creator-driven competition, what does it take to truly outlast, outwork, and outperform? Enter the G60 Gauntlet, a high-stakes showdown where elite athlete creators, runners, bodybuilders, hybrid athletes, and endurance freaks, push their limits across grueling tests of speed, strength, endurance, and resilience.

At the end of the day, strength fades, and speed slows, but endurance is what defines the elite. 

• Tom Brady was winning Super Bowls at 40

• LeBron James has shattered almost every NBA record in 22 seasons

• Serena Williams won a Grand Slam while pregnant

This isn’t just for marathoners; it’s for the strongest, fastest, and toughest competitors, from YouTubers like Jeff Nippard and Will Tennyson to bodybuilders like Chris Bumstead and Sam Sulek, to endurance legends like David Goggins. One by one, they’ll fall, until only one remains, the ultimate competitor, crowned as Gatorade’s next social-first athlete partner.

THE CREATORS:

When selecting competitors, I knew I needed athletes who embodied that relentless mindset. I first met Allen Ye on a panel last year, where his endurance training insights stuck with me. Through Sam Katz, founder of CrowdWork, I was introduced to Anthony Crouchelli and Chris Chung, two athletes whose drive and discipline define this challenge. And then there’s Hellah Sidibe, whose daily commitment to running fascinates me as someone who rarely runs more than ten feet. His discipline proves that consistency beats talent every time.

It made perfect sense to feature creators who push limits, adapt, and endure. And with Gatorade’s 60th anniversary, the number 60 became the foundation.

• 60 competitors

• 6 grueling challenges

• 1 champion

The G60 Gauntlet isn’t just a competition it’s a battle against time, against the body, and against every instinct telling you to stop. Because the greatest athletes don’t just win. They endure.

THE FORMAT: G60 GAUNTLET

Each phase is a single, defining challenge that eliminates a portion of the competitors, focusing on strategy, grit, and endurance. Every challenge is a mental game just as much as a physical one.

🏃‍♂️Phase 1 Endurance: 12-Hour Shadow Run (60 → 40)

A mental and physical battle of endurance, competitors run for 12 hours, but with a twist: they have no idea how fast their opponents are going. Push too hard and burn out, pace too slow, and risk elimination. At the end, the bottom 20 distances are cut.

💪🏽Phase 2 Strength: The Last to Drop Strength Showdown (40 → 25)

Exhausted from the run, athletes must now hold a progressively heavier weighted bar overhead. The longer they last, the closer they get to survival. The first 15 to drop are out.

🧠Phase 3 Strategy: The NYC Gauntlet (25 → 10)

A city-wide race that’s part obstacle course, part mind game. Inspired by The Amazing Race, competitors must decipher cryptic clues leading to physical challenges across NYC. The first 15 to finish advance, everyone else is lost in the city.

⚡Phase 4 Power: The 1,000-Calorie Burn (10 → 5)

A pure test of energy output, burn 1,000 calories as fast as possible using any method: rowing, sprinting, cycling, or burpees. The last five to finish are eliminated.

🛁Phase 5 Recovery:  The Ice Tank (5 → 3)

Because every fitness influencer swears by the cold plunge, athletes must endure an ice bath while rowing at a steady pace. The first five to give in are out.

🚀Phase 6 Speed: The Final Mile One Last Sprint for Glory (3 → 5 → 1)

After everything, it all comes down to a one-mile, winner-takes-all sprint down the West Side Highway. No pacing, no strategy, just a fight to the finish line. First across wins and is crowned Gatorade’s Official Creator Athlete.

But fans can vote to bring back two eliminated athletes back for the final showdown.

A Social-First Spectacle & Content Machine

The G60 Gauntlet isn’t just a competition, it’s a content goldmine, generating hundreds of high-impact videos across platforms, and turning every challenge into a viral moment.

• Mid-Performance Interviews

• Behind-the-Scenes Creator Coverage

• Data-Driven Performance Breakdown

• Multiple Angles, Infinite Reach

Athlete-Generated Content & Fan Comebacks: Competitors receive pre-cut content packs, slow-motion highlights, reaction clips, and training footage, to post in real-time, with fans voting two eliminated athletes back into the Final Showdown.

What’s in It for the Creators?

Elite athlete creators deserve elite rewards, and this competition delivers both financial stakes and career-defining exposure.

💰 $1,000,000 Winner-Takes-All Partnership

The champion signs a $1M Gatorade sponsorship, becoming the official Gatorade Creator Athlete for a year.

💵 $10,000 Entry Fee for Every Competitor

Every athlete gets $10,000 to compete, but they must post 3+ times about the event, ensuring social engagement. Trust me, I get it, depending on the size of the creator this is probably nothing. But if you look at a reality tv show where most people competing get nothing this is far and away a better deal + this is probably the first step to doing sponsored content with the brand which would be a lot more lucrative.

📈 Exposure & Growth

Competitors gain cross-community exposure, Gatorade-backed media opportunities, and a chance to be featured in future brand campaigns.

FOR THE BRANDS:

1. Make Campaigns Feel Like Entertainment, Not Ads: People engage with experiences, not marketing. Build something they want to watch, share, or participate in. Make people feel something.

2. Turn Everything Into a Content Machine: Every launch has multiple stories—behind-the-scenes, competitor POVs, fan reactions. Unlock every angle.

3. Give the Audience a Role, Not Just a Seat: When fans influence outcomes, engagement explodes. Make them part of the story.

FOR THE CREATORS:

1. Prove Your Value Beyond a One-Time Post: Brands don’t just want reach; they want engagement, longevity, and impact. Show how you can create multi-layered content like behind-the-scenes, reactions, and training footage—not just a single ad.

2. Make the Brand Part of Your Journey: Gatorade isn’t just a sponsor in G60 Gauntlet it’s woven into the struggles, endurance, and recovery. The best brand partnerships align with your personal narrative rather than feeling like forced promotions.

3. Show Brands You Can Drive Conversation, Not Just Views: The wildcard comeback round forces creators to activate their audience. Brands want partners who engage followers, create interactive moments, and drive real community loyalty.

4. The Best Brand Deals Come from Playing the Long Game: $10K to compete in G60 Gauntlet is just an entry point. The real money is in proving your value, building relationships, and turning one deal into a long-term partnership. Stop chasing checks, start building brand equity.

Oh boy, if you’ve made it this far, just know that while I’m the one running this marathon, you the people who are a part of the community either cheering from the sidelines, holding up a sign of support or if you’ve been jogging alongside me I greatly appreciate it. Metaphorically, of course, because let’s be real if I ran an actual marathon, I’d quite literally die.

But seriously, thank you for reading and being part of this journey. Hopefully, we’ll see you at our next event! And if you’ve got any thoughts on how to make this newsletter better, I always appreciate a good push in the right direction.

Best,

Jacob