Celsius on Wednesday unveiled its 2025 name, image and likeness (NIL) roster, calling on college football standouts from major programs to build on its recently launched “Live. Fit. Go” brand campaign, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
The effort kicks off with a 30-second anthem spot that will run nationally and focuses on the energy of college football game day, spanning tailgates, marching bands, mascots and more. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood and Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik feature in individual 15-second ads that provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at their lives beyond football.
The 360-degree view of high-performing athletes is in line with previous “Live. Fit. Go” creative, which demonstrated how Celsius helped people with active lifestyles — like a nurse who surfs or a businesswoman who runs marathons — meet their energy needs. The campaign launched in June and raised aided awareness and positive feedback from retailers, according to a recent earnings call. Early results encouraged Celsius to increase its investment in the campaign in the second half of 2025 to help build on the 9% revenue growth the brand saw in Q2.
Tying “Live. Fit. Go” to its ongoing NIL efforts, which Celsius has utilized to engage Gen Z consumers, was a natural fit for a brand that has made college campuses a focus through its Celsius University and brand ambassador programs.
“We wanted to showcase how [‘Live. Fit. Go’] relates to everyday lives and things that are outside of that aspirational athlete that we’ve always leaned into, and that you see energy drinks partnering with,” said Celsius CMO Kyle Watson. “We’re still looking at our athlete partners, and even other partners outside of athletes that use Celsius every day in their line of work.”
Culture curators
Celsius Holdings, which produces its namesake product and acquired the Alani Nu brand for $1.8 billion in February, now accounts for more than 17% of the U.S. energy drink category, up 180 basis points versus a year ago. The momentum comes as consumers increasingly reach for zero sugar, functional beverages, per the earnings call. The brand’s soaring trajcetory has been supported by a ubiquitous marketing strategy.
“We call ourselves Generation C, which is culture curators, and we’re all about being part of culture,” Watson said.
For Celsius — and marketers across categories — football remains a crucial cultural touchpoint. Along with its new NIL-focused campaign, Celsius will run its first national TV commercial during an NFL broadcast this fall.
“We intend to invest more in different channels that we haven’t played as big in. We’re doing a large media buy around the NFL, and really leveraging that with our athlete partners that we’re featuring,” Watson said, noting that former NIL partner Travis Hunter is now in the league.
Celsius has previously been focused on social and digital marketing to create organic, authentic buzz. But no matter the channel, the brand will continue to work to drive excitement around relevant culture moments and spaces — a strategy that will be more of a priority “than just plain media buys and commercials,” Watson added.
To do so, the Celsius marketing team keeps a pulse on culture across sports and beyond. The brand tapped into interest around Formula One racing stoked by Netflix’s popular “Drive to Survive” series by signing a multiyear partnership last year with Scuderia Ferrari. Consumer interest in the sport has continued to grow (see also: this summer’s Brad Pitt-starring blockbuster “F1”) and Celsius has created more experiences around F1 races.
“We do it differently than other brands. We’re not just about throwing logos on a car or on a driver,” Watson said. “We really lean into the emotional connection that people have to everything that happens around [F1]... bringing our brand partners out to the races, creating experiences that are really brand-owned.”
Reaching women
Celsius has used the “Live. Fit. Go” campaign to reach more consumers in different places. The brand has continued to activate around music at gatherings like Breakaway Music Festival and CMA Fest that increasingly include a fitness component.
“We’re really bringing ‘Live. Fit. Go’ full circle and making it something that’s not only about the fitness component, but it’s people that are like-minded: they want to make sure that they’re staying fit, but they also really enjoy these memorable, emotionally connected experiences,” Watson said.
The brand this summer also partnered with country music star Kelsea Ballerini to showcase through social content how Celsius fits into her lifestyle. A long-time fan of the product — Ballerini coined the term “Kelsius” as a tag for the content — provides a stronger, more authentic connection between brand and ambassador.
“It’s so valuable for us to find partners that really love our brand and that truly drink it. We don’t want to just go out and find people that make sense because they hit the right audiences,” Watson said.
Partnerships like those with Ballerini and music festivals, along with its work in sports, have helped the brand reach more women audiences as it strives to achieve 50-50 parity between men and women consumers. The acquisition of the influencer-friendly Alani Nu could help its parent company in the same way.
“From a brand standpoint, Alani has this more playful, a little bit more female-friendly [profile],” Watson said. “It’s a really nice incremental brand in our portfolio.”
