The "Starting Blocks" campaign by Athletic Greens leverages the authentic narrative of Allyson Felix to underscore its brand proposition of empowering individuals to take control of their health and well-being through intentional, inspired beginnings. Rather than merely selling a product, the campaign positions Athletic Greens as a catalyst for personal transformation, aligning the brand with themes of resilience, purpose, and progress. Allyson’s story—from Olympic champion to advocate and entrepreneur—embodies a powerful message about redefining success, overcoming systemic barriers, and initiating meaningful change both physically and personally. This deep alignment amplifies Athletic Greens’ value as a partner in health that supports ambitious, holistic journeys rather than superficial fitness goals.
Strategically, the campaign targets a health-conscious, purpose-driven audience that values authenticity and empowerment beyond conventional sports marketing. By collaborating with Allyson Felix—who represents not only athletic excellence but also maternal advocacy and entrepreneurial innovation—the campaign taps into a broader cultural conversation about equity, resilience, and redefining norms. The docu-series format allows for a layered storytelling approach, connecting emotionally through intimate, personal moments and social issues while maintaining relevance to Athletic Greens’ core focus on health optimization. This narrative-driven, multi-part content offers viewers thematic entry points that reflect different facets of Allyson’s journey, fostering brand association with grit, reinvention, and meaningful progress. The creative angle effectively differentiates Athletic Greens in the sports and health market by emphasizing starting points—physical, emotional, and ideological—as critical to success, resonating with consumers seeking inspiration to initiate their own transformations.
FORMAT#8 ONGOING CHARACTERS OR CELEBRITIES — Uses a recurring personality or celebrity for brand recall.
This campaign centers around Allyson Felix, a legendary and instantly recognizable track and field athlete, leveraging her personal narrative across a multi-episode branded docu-series. The storytelling focus is on her journey, resilience, and advocacy, presented intimately and repeatedly. Allyson’s ongoing presence and firsthand perspective are integral to both the creative and the brand message, embodying the Athletic Greens ethos of personal empowerment. The product supports and is linked to her journey but remains secondary to her persona as the celebrity figurehead, making this a textbook example of leveraging an ongoing celebrity for brand recall and thematic association.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Ritual – Positioned as a transparent, science-backed vitamin subscription brand, Ritual differentiates itself through clean ingredients and third-party testing. It targets health-conscious consumers who value simplicity and traceability in supplements, with a focus on essential daily nutrients tailored for women, men, and prenatal needs.
2. Garden of Life – A leader in whole-food, organic, and plant-based supplements, Garden of Life emphasizes certified organic and non-GMO ingredients. Their strategic angle is promoting gut health, immunity, and clean nutrition with a strong commitment to sustainability and clean-label transparency.
3. Hum Nutrition – Hum Nutrition focuses on personalized beauty and wellness supplements, blending scientific research with lifestyle needs. They target consumers seeking targeted solutions for skin, energy, and digestion, leveraging influencer partnerships and a modern digital-first brand voice.
4. Onnit – Onnit positions itself as a holistic health and performance brand specializing in nootropics, fitness supplements, and functional foods. Its unique angle includes combining ancient wisdom with modern science to optimize mental and physical performance for athletes and biohackers.
5. Vega – Vega offers plant-based nutrition products geared toward active lifestyles, including protein powders and bars. Their market positioning highlights clean, vegan ingredients that support athletic performance and recovery, appealing to environmentally conscious and plant-curious consumers.
Q: What is Starting Blocks about?
A: Starting Blocks is a three-part docu-series campaign launched in 2023 by Athletic Greens in partnership with The Rec League, centered on Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track and field athlete in US and Olympic history. The series explores Allyson’s journey from elite athlete to mother and entrepreneur, highlighting her resilience in overcoming systemic barriers such as lack of maternity protections and sponsorship challenges. Rather than a traditional product endorsement, the campaign uses Allyson’s personal story to inspire audiences to embrace new beginnings and pursue purpose-driven transformation, aligning with Athletic Greens’ mission to empower health and well-being.
Q: What creative device does Starting Blocks use?
A: Starting Blocks employs FORMAT#8 ONGOING CHARACTERS OR CELEBRITIES from Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy, leveraging Allyson Felix as a recurring personality to build brand recall and thematic association. The campaign’s storytelling is anchored in Allyson’s authentic narrative, presented across multiple episodes that reveal different facets of her life and advocacy. This approach integrates her ongoing presence and firsthand perspective as central creative elements, making her persona the primary vehicle for Athletic Greens’ message of empowerment, with the product playing a supportive but secondary role.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Starting Blocks?
A: The campaign proposition for Starting Blocks positions Athletic Greens as a catalyst for personal transformation by aligning the brand with Allyson Felix’s story of resilience, purpose, and progress. Targeting a health-conscious, purpose-driven audience, the campaign emphasizes empowerment beyond conventional sports marketing, focusing on overcoming systemic barriers and redefining success. By showcasing Allyson’s evolution from athlete to advocate and entrepreneur, the campaign connects Athletic Greens with themes of grit and reinvention, encouraging consumers to take ownership of their health and begin their own meaningful journeys.
Q: How does Starting Blocks rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Starting Blocks holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 71/100, which reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance. This score is issued by Clapboard’s global ad archive as an objective measure of the campaign’s overall impact and craftsmanship within the health and sports marketing category.
Q: Who are the competitors in Athletic Greens' category?
A: Athletic Greens competes with brands such as Ritual, Garden of Life, Hum Nutrition, Onnit, and Vega, each with distinct market positioning. Ritual emphasizes transparency and third-party testing with essential daily nutrients tailored to specific demographics. Garden of Life leads in organic, plant-based supplements with a focus on gut health and sustainability. Hum Nutrition targets personalized beauty and wellness needs through influencer partnerships and a digital-first voice. Onnit blends ancient wisdom with modern science to optimize mental and physical performance for athletes and biohackers. Vega offers plant-based nutrition products designed for active lifestyles, appealing to environmentally conscious consumers.
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