Dear Peyton

MyPepline

One of Gatorade’s longest standing athlete partners, Peyton Manning, recently retired after a storied NFL career which included two Super Bowl titles, five league MVP awards and records for just about every passing stat there is. In short, Peyton is one of the greatest athletes of all time, and the brand wanted to find a way to honor his legacy and partnership with Gatorade as the NFL family gathers for the first time since his retirement in Chicago, Illinois for the NFL Draft.

Over the course of his impressive career, Peyton reached out to hundreds of people with sincere handwritten letters. To pay tribute to No. 18 who was the No. 1 Draft pick 18 years ago, Gatorade wanted to honor that tradition. So they made a film as a surprise for the legendary quarterback with the help of Peyton’s friends and family using Peyton’s own words to others to craft a heartfelt letter back to him. Set to an instrumental re-record of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changin,’” the film features just a few of the people Peyton has impacted over the years. Take a look at Gatorade’s tribute, fittingly called "Dear Peyton.” The film launched this morning and will receive ample support across PR and paid social with a TV debut this evening in the minutes leading up to the NFL Draft broadcast.