The limited research on women in sports worldwide leaves millions of people without knowledge and informed answers about the real needs of their bodies. For decades it has been assumed that female physiology is identical to male physiology, and the result is a biased science. Gatorade wanted to contribute to solving the situation with “Body of Science”, a research commitment focused on female hydration.
The goal of the PepsiCo brand is to advance the science of hydration and female nutrition and, to this end, it will promote a multi-year global study to analyze hydration at all stages of women’s lives. The work will be led by the Gatorade Sports Sciences Institute (GSSI), the brand’s research area, which has four decades of experience in sports performance.
Gatorade study will analyze hydration at all stages of women
As the company explains in a statement, the objective is to analyze the needs of women when it comes to hydration, including key moments, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and perimenopause. The initiative is launched with the participation of 500 women in the initial research, and hopes to provide findings and solutions for women inside and outside of sport.
“For more than four decades, the GSSI has been dedicated to understanding the science of hydration and nutrition. ‘Body of Science’ represents a fundamental evolution of that mission, one that recognizes and addresses a critical gap in research“Kimberly Stein, Senior Scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, said in a statement. “This research will empower women to perform at their best, in and out of sport, and to better understand their bodies with knowledge and solutions based on evidence, not assumptions.yes.”
The initiative communicates with Venus Williams as the first ambassador, to promote research and give greater visibility to the situation. Additionally, basketball player A’ja Wilson and runner Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone star in the launch video, joining other top athletes to be part of “Body of Science.”
The Met Gala, which took place on May 4, was one of the venues chosen by Gatorade to communicate the initiative and give visibility to the limited research on women. The brand took advantage of Venus Williams’ status as the event’s official host to publicize “Body of Science” and point out that only 6% of sports research focuses exclusively on women.
Together with Ronald Burton III, the Creative Director of Venus Williams, the data was transferred to different fashion and styling moments throughout the week of the gala. At the welcome dinner she wore a beaded Pucci dress with motifs inspired by the number; Before the gala, she wore a Partow suit inspired by a lab coat and shoes with an orange part, a color that represented 6% of the total outfit.
At the gala, Williams wore a black dress with a Swarovski choker that was paired with custom jewelry that openly displayed the “6%,” turning fashion into a statement. At the party after the event, she wore a pendant with the number and a dress that highlighted the corset, alluding to the structure of the female body that science has long ignored.
The campaign has also included the collaboration of influencers and content creators, regular collaborators of Gatorade, who have explained to their respective audiences the details and symbolism of each of the outfits.
“Body of Science” is part of Gatorade’s “Fuel Tomorrow” platform, focused on driving opportunities in sports. The brand is inviting women from all over the United States to participate in the initiative and in exchange offers rewards in the form of gift cards for brand products.
A dress against armed violence
Venus Williams’ outfits were not the only ones in demand during this edition of the Met Gala. The organization March For Our Lives, focused on ending gun violence, collaborated with the brand Cotte D’Armes and its Creative Director, Clarence Ruth, as well as the agency Founders, to create a bulletproof dress. The garment sought to highlight the crisis of gun violence in the United States, transmitting the message “Gun violence is killing our children.”
The garment, as the organization points out in a statement, used the body as a space for expression, in line with the theme of the event; at the same time that it is increasingly necessary to protect it against shootings and attacks with guns. The dress worn by the artist and model Racquel Chevremont combined haute couture with functionality, materialized in a bustier that conveyed that there is a generation that can no longer take security for granted.
The color red alluded to bloodshed, something intense, emotional and impossible to ignore.
““Gun violence is the leading cause of death among young people in the United States.”Jaclyn Corin, Executive Director of March For Our Lives, said in a statement. “We have a responsibility to bring this conversation to all areas, especially those who shape the culture. If fashion is art, it must reflect the world we live in and demand that we change it”.
For its part, the agency assures that the action transcends traditional advertising and is located where fashion, entertainment and advertising audiences converge. “Fashion is the visible intersection of entertainment, business, art and culture, making it a powerful platform to continue the fight against gun violence.“explain Kristin Mizushima and Katie Reid, creative directors at Founders Agency.”Cultural events like the Met Gala dictate what the industry pays attention to. We saw an opportunity to use that attention differently: to insert a conversation that is often absent and make it impossible to ignore.”.
