Powerade releases ads celebrating women athletes after Novig’s nude Sydney Sweeney spot
Powerade released a series of videos celebrating women athletes after Novig’s “Just Sports” ad that featured a nude Sydney Sweeney; Powerade framed the spots as celebrating women in sport. The campaign ends each spot with “Never Just Sports,” used the Instagram caption “There is no just in sports” and the hashtag “PowerYourLegacy.”
AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 outlets' reporting · Full text read from 1 of 5 outletsHow it's made
What happened
Key facts
- Powerade released a series of videos celebrating women athletes in track & field, swimming and tennis.
- Powerade is created and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company.
- Each Powerade video ends with the message “Never Just Sports”; Powerade’s Instagram caption read “There is no just in sports” with the hashtag “PowerYourLegacy.”
- Some athletes named in coverage who criticised Novig and Sweeney are Ariarne Titumus and Amy Hunt.
- Novig’s earlier ad, released in September, was titled “Novig is Just Sports.”
The brief
Powerade has rolled out a short campaign of videos centering women athletes after a sports-gambling company’s ad featuring Sydney Sweeney drew criticism.
The New York Post reports that the Coca‑Cola Company brand published several clips that highlight women competing in sports such as track & field, swimming and tennis and that each spot closes with the line "Never Just Sports." Powerade’s Instagram caption for the campaign read, "There is no just in sports," and used the hashtag "PowerYourLegacy," the Post says.
The Post frames Powerade’s campaign as a reaction to Novig’s earlier commercial, released in September and titled "Novig is Just Sports," which showed Sweeney nude with sports equipment covering her body. The Post reports that the Novig ad prompted backlash, with some coverage naming swimmers Ariarne Titmus and sprinter Amy Hunt among those critical of Novig and Sweeney.
According to the New York Post, Novig subsequently published another spot in which Sweeney appears and says, "There are grown men making spreadsheets to bet on what color underwear I’m wearing." The Post includes that Sweeney is an equity holder in Novig, and it presents Powerade’s campaign as joining the public criticism aimed at Novig’s creative approach.
The campaign’s creative choice to end each clip with "Never Just Sports" and Powerade’s Instagram caption signals the brand’s stated intent to reframe attention toward female athletes, the Post reports.
The Coca‑Cola Company is named in the Post as the company that creates and distributes Powerade; the article does not provide additional corporate commentary or figures about the campaign’s reach.
Other outlets ran headlines reporting Powerade’s new spots and their contrast with Novig’s Sweeney ad, including Yahoo Sports, Everything Experiential, Sports Business Journal and Inc.com, each noting Powerade’s focus on women athletes.
The published accounts cited here stick to the campaign’s creative content and the public reaction to Novig’s ads rather than detailed audience metrics or corporate statements beyond the Instagram post described by the Post.
The available reporting documents the sequence from Novig’s September ad to Powerade’s campaign and records named athletes who criticised Novig; it does not offer independent audience data, comments from Powerade executives beyond the Instagram text, or responses from Novig beyond the lines quoted in its follow-up spot.
Why it matters
- Powerade’s campaign redirects public attention and brand messaging toward women athletes by using a widely visible social post and campaign tagline, shifting the immediate public conversation from Novig’s creative choices to athlete representation in sport.
- The Coca‑Cola Company, as the maker and distributor of Powerade, bears the reputational stake documented in the reporting through its public-facing Instagram caption and campaign creative.
- Named athletes such as Ariarne Titmus and Amy Hunt are documented participants in the public backlash, showing that elite competitors are directly engaged in debates over advertising portrayals of women in sport.
What to watch next
- Whether Powerade or The Coca‑Cola Company issues additional campaign posts or formal statements expanding on the "Never Just Sports" campaign beyond the Instagram caption documented by the New York Post.
- Whether Novig publishes further ads or statements clarifying its creative rationale after its September "Novig is Just Sports" spot and the follow-up line quoted by the New York Post.
- Whether athletes named in coverage, including Ariarne Titmus and Amy Hunt, make further public comments or take actions in response to either Novig’s or Powerade’s ads.
How it's being covered
Coverage analysisShow details5 source articles · 5 unique outletsCoverage mix: Too few rated· 1 Center · 1 RightWhere the outlets are based: US/Canada 60% · Unknown 40%
How outlets' accounts compare
How we got here
In September 2026, the creative agency Novig released a campaign titled “Novig is Just Sports,” a spot that featured a nude Sydney Sweeney and drew public criticism from several athletes; swimmer Ariarne Titmus and sprinter Amy Hunt were among those named in coverage who publicly condemned the ad in statements published that month.
That September 2026 controversy immediately set the promotional context for other brands’ sports marketing choices in October 2026. Corporate lineage relevant to the brands involved begins with The Coca‑Cola Company’s 1988 introduction of the Powerade brand, when Coca‑Cola launched Powerade to compete in the sports-drink market.
Original sources
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