Shot on an afternoon before one of his last games as a Yankee, Derek Jeter walked through the Bronx to Yankee Stadium, thanking real fans who had no idea he was coming.

For his walk to have an impact, it needed to be real.

90 minutes. 90 degrees. 1 take.

- 10.5 million online video views.

- Gatorade’s most shared Facebook post ever.

- Organic top 3 trending topic on Twitter.

- 6X increase in Gatorade social mentions day over day.

- 75% of consumers linked Gatorade to the Jeter video.

- 846 total stories

-100 % mention Gatorade & Jeter

-98 % positive in tone

-70 % mention the fan tribute

-More than 770 million impressions

-More than $16 million in ad value

Representing an era of baseball, Derek Jeter is an American icon. Having spent his entire 20-year career as a New York Yankee, his impending retirement dominated the media. With brands lining up to pay tribute to The Captain, Gatorade tasked us with creating the best possible send-off for Jeter. Being the third athlete ever signed by the brand the objective was simple—link Gatorade to Derek Jeter’s historic career and final season.

Baseball fans everywhere loved and respected Jeter. With such universal support, the audience became pivotal in the idea.

Using the credibility of a 20-year relationship with Jeter, Gatorade transformed their tribute to Jeter into a tribute from Jeter by giving him the chance to say good-bye his way. When it came to his final moments as a Yankee, Gatorade filmed him walking to Yankee Stadium thanking his fans in person.