# Marginalized Athlete Ads Powerade's Ad Tributes Shakur Stevenson's Rise to the Olympics By Riley von Niessen | Published 2016-08-11 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shakur-stevenson References: [adweek](http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-powerade-spot-will-be-among-most-hard-hitting-rio-games-172839) & [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71LHQSDQ4ho) Shakur Stevenson is a 19-year-old American bantam-weight boxer who's faced a lot of adversity in his life. Born in Newark, New Jersey, the athlete faced a childhood filled with a disturbing level of violence that was a result of the poverty-stricken neighborhood that he claimed as home. With this in mind, [Powerade](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-athlete-code) shows how Shakur Stevenson was born to fight, as its something that he has always done in order to get by. The [short commercial](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tonys-chocolonely-advertisement), titled 'The Corner,' was made with the help of advertising agency 'Wieden + Kennedy' and headed by creative directors Max Stinson, Erik Fahrenkopf and Scott Kaplan. Shakur Stevenson responded to questions surrounding his portrayal in the ad by saying "I hope this commercial inspires others to believe that with hard work, where you're from and the difficulties you faced will never be a barrier to where you can go and what you can accomplish." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.1/10 - Popularity: 35% | Activity: 80% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/commercials) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Athlete Empowerment Ads:** Ads featuring athletes who have overcome adversity and marginalized backgrounds to succeed, inspiring others to do the same. - **Authentic Storytelling Ads:** Short ads that tell compelling stories of real people in a powerful and authentic way, resonating with viewers emotionally. - **Emphasis on Diversity Ads:** Ads that highlight diversity and inclusivity, featuring athletes from different backgrounds and cultures to reflect the world we live in. ### Who This Affects Most - **Sports Apparel Industry:** The sports apparel industry can use these ads to promote their products and partnerships with athletes who inspire others through their stories. - **Advertising Industry:** The advertising industry can continue to create similar ads that tell compelling stories of real people, resonating with viewers emotionally and sparking conversations. - **Entertainment Industry:** The entertainment industry can use these ads as inspiration and create new content that highlights diversity and tells authentic stories of real people, leading to more inclusive media representation. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Taekwondo Champion Sports Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skylar-park.md) - [Barrier-Breaking Sports Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fuel-tomorrow.md) - [Next-Gen Athlete-Starring Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/why-do-it-ad.md) - [Motivational Athlete Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adidas-you-got-this.md) - [Athlete-Focused Mental Wellbeing Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-athlete-code.md) - [Athlete-Inspired AI Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/angelai.md) - [Bold Athlete-Centric Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/made-for-athletes.md) - [Cinematic Finance Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/your-money-your-move.md) - [Empowering Women Athlete Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stay-ready.md)