Sports Drink Scale Up Play Hydrated Calls Out America's Secret Addiction

American sports drink scale-up Play Hydrated launches its first-ever global brand campaign 'Sugar Addicts' today. The provocative campaign reveals the hidden dangers of mainstream sports drinks & how Play Hydrated offers a healthier alternative.

Created in partnership with 'Defiant', the ad features real diabetics recounting their own struggles with sports drinks and sugar addiction The hard-hitting campaign is incredibly disruptive and aims to change the way people view their favourite 'healthy' sports drinks. 

Gerardo Flores Castro, founder at Play Hydrated, commented, “I am excited to launch our first ever global brand campaign for Play Hydrated, which will shake up the sports drink industry like never before.

"I was inspired to create Play Hydrated after my own struggles with sports drink addiction and the devastating effects sugar had on my own life. I have been a national-level athlete since my teenage years. However, my passion for sports soon led to an unhealthy sports drink addiction. An addiction that has led to many health struggles over the years. This has included having to have major surgery & still to this day I am pre-diabetic due to the sugar found in those sports drinks I drank as a kid.

"Our new campaign looks to change the conversation in the sports drinks category. Showing how dangerous mainstream sports drinks really are whilst also revealing how Play Hydrated offers a safer, less addictive and healthier alternative."

Will Poskett, co-founder and strategy partner of, 'Defiant' said, “People don’t take sports drink & sugar addiction seriously. Yet in reality, one in three Americans are now pre-diabetic due to excess sugar. Excess sugar found in many of the most popular sports drinks such as Gatorade & Powerade. Our new campaign looks to raise awareness of this issue & help people make healthier choices.”

Hermeilio Miguel Aquino ( Kino), co-founder and creative production partner of 'Defiant' repped by Octopus Inc, said: “The campaign is bold and provocative. It grabs the viewer's attention and they can’t look away. We designed it deliberately this way because we passionately believe sports drink & sugar addiction is an incredibly important issue that needs to be addressed”

The campaign will be running globally across smart TV, Paid YouTube, TikTok and other social platforms.