Fernando Tatis Jr. pays homage to Dominican roots with new custom Gatorade water bottle
San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gatorade are joining forces once again.
A year and a half since the sports drink company signed the shortstop to its endorsement roster, Tatis Jr. and three other athletes are the faces of the brand's first-ever multi-athlete bottle collection.
"I've been drinking Gatorade since I was a child, and while it's something I didn't imagine at the time, working with them on a project like this just motivates me to keep being the example for younger baseball players," Tatis Jr. told Yahoo Sports about his latest campaign.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Olympic medalist Sydney McLaughlin and UConn point guard Paige Bueckers all worked alongside Gatorade's team of designers to develop a water bottle inspired by their athletic journey.
Splashed with luminous blues and pinks — his favorite colors — Tatis Jr.'s bottle pays homage to his days growing up in the Dominican Republic. Perhaps the catchiest image on the bottle is a large horse, which the 23-year-old says is a nod to his ranch in his birth country, a place where he goes to recharge. For Tatis, a horse emulates beauty, strength and a free spirit.
"I've always been a tropical guy, so the first idea I had was to include bright colors to represent my home country," he told Yahoo Sports. "The horse is a really important part to me, because I grew up riding horses, and at the same time, I feel like I have the horsepower inside me and it translates to who I am on the field."
"To be able to humanize these athletes, who are just everyday people when you think of it, was really great," Gatorade Head of Design Sean Huls said to Yahoo Sports. "As a designer, this is what you live for. The process is really defined by the need to be super collaborative and super authentic. Anyone can kind of think of the story an athlete would want to tell, but for us, it's really important for us to partner with them."
A different perspective on the Jordan year
To know Tatis Jr. is to know his affinity to the number 23. Not only has he played with that number since he was a child, his father also wore No. 23 during his MLB career. As he works to rehab a fractured wrist, the 2021 All-Star discussed the things he has learned while being sidelined in an age he thought would hold more significance.
"I initially thought this [Michael] Jordan year would be different, but I've had to learn a lot. It's been a year for me to get everything right in my mind and so it's been a growing experience," he said. "Hopefully, I can come back this year and I'll be rewarded for the time I'm missing out. I'm feeling great, I'm coming along. I feel like the comeback could happen soon. My body is feeling great and I'm in a good spot."
Gatorade's vision for the athlete Gx collab is to elevate athlete voices and spotlight their stories and experiences beyond the field of play. Priced at $30 a bottle, you can shop all four multi-athlete designed Gatorade Gx Bottles at Gatorade.com.
