When Lucozade teamed up with football superstar Jude Bellingham to launch its new “Ice Kick” drink, the brief was simple: bring the energy. But standing out in a saturated sports drink market, especially with a young, football-obsessed audience, required more than just a big-name partnership. It demanded cultural relevance, creative boldness, and a campaign that felt as fresh as the product itself.

Enter We Are Social Sport. Led by Creative Director Tom Brandhorst, the team developed a punchy, social-first strategy that centred around Jude’s magnetic presence and the power of simplicity. The result? A cinematic, ice-breaking hero film, backed by a grime-heavy soundtrack from P Money, and an authentically chaotic production schedule that squeezed a full campaign’s worth of content into just three hours with the star himself.

From clever body double work and thermal camera shots to embedded social production and a surprise FA Cup final TV debut, Ice Kick became more than just a product launch; it was a masterclass in modern sports marketing. We spoke with Tom Brandhorst to unpack how it all came together, and why collaboration, clarity, and a bit of swagger made all the difference.

What was the brief?

Our brief was to launch Lucozade’s new collaboration with Jude Bellingham – the “Ice Kick” sports drink. The challenge was to cut through a crowded category and engage a younger football-obsessed audience, while effectively and authentically leveraging the superstar that is Bellingham. Ultimately, we wanted to get people talking about, and tasting, the product.

How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?

With “Ice” as the clear theme given to us, initially, we explored several different ways in which “ice” can be interpreted, both aesthetically and thematically. We also explored Jude’s personality and the best way for us to authentically lead this campaign. It was a phase with tight timelines due to an upcoming shoot window, but that pressure forced us to be smart and focused with our thinking.

What was the process behind ideating the concept?

Initially, we worked with all of Lucozade’s agencies in a cross-agency process. Shopper, PR & Media chipped into that first thinking, before We Are Social’s Strategy department dug deeper into the theme and the social interpretation of it. Creative team ideation through quickfire brainstorms helped shape potential concepts in a short time frame. We also collaborated very closely with the client. Instead of feedback being a one-way conversation, we built up the concept together to ensure key brand objectives and product considerations were being hit.

What was the production process like?

We Are Social Studios' in-house producer Jessica Ross-Dorman assembled our hero shoot in the space of a few weeks. We appointed social-first director Ben Doyle (RVBBERVCK) after several directors pitched for the work. We also worked with a trusted service company in Madrid - Hawaii Films. Having a proactive director like Ben made the production process much smoother, particularly given the time constraints.

What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?

Aside from assembling this shoot in the space of a few weeks, our main challenge was the amount of time we had with Jude Bellingham vs the amount we needed to capture. As well as the hero film, we also had to manage three separate photography requests, a load of social assets, and several PR requests. All in 3 hours.

To overcome this, we created a meticulously efficient schedule that utilised every second with Jude. Any camera resets or unit moves were dovetailed with quick photo shoots or social activities. Even in his downtime, he was being captured for social BTS. It meant we created A LOT with those 3 hours, all coordinated in line with the wider campaign.

What is one funny or notable thing that happened during production?

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the shoot was the energy on the day. With Lucozade’s tagline being “Bring The Energy”, we ensured the vibes were high at all times. Jude had lost in the Champions League the night before, so arrived a bit flatter than expected; however, music, high energy + an engaging schedule ensured his mood rapidly improved. By the end, he was dancing around the set and having the time of his life.

How long did it take from inception to delivery?

We ideated in October, shot in November, and then had all content delivered by February.

Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?

We explored a few different embodiments of ice, but after a collaborative chat with Lucozade, we landed on keeping the creative super simple and laser-focused. The drink was the centre of our attention, and we didn’t want the creative to detract from that. Therefore, Jude breaking through a giant block of ice was easy for the consumer to understand while remaining intriguing and fun.

How did you ensure that the concept aligned with the brand's values, goals, and target audience?

Lucozade’s target audience of younger football fans wants to see Jude in unexpected scenarios. Whether that’s a cinematic hero film or BTS of him chatting and dancing, we satisfy their interest. We also aligned to Lucozade’s wider values of ‘Bring the energy’ – through a bespoke soundtrack by UK rap legend P Money, and of being raw and authentic with Jude wearing a scuffed shirt and boots,  and finally of bold confidence, by shooting Jude to be in powerful hero poses at all times.

Can you discuss any collaborative or interdisciplinary aspects of the ideation process, such as working with other departments or external partners?

As previously mentioned, we collaborated closely with Lucozade’s other agencies: Wasserman - PR; Essence Mediacom - Media; Zeal - Shopper

To make sure our concept wouldn’t just work as a hero film, but would also be effective on in-store displays, in paid media assets, and from a PR perspective.

Jude himself was also a key partner for Lucozade. He helped shape everything: he tasted and approved the flavour, he helped name the drink, he contributed feedback on packaging and design and even visited the factory where it’s made. This level of involvement meant that Jude wasn’t just the face of the product, but he was emotionally invested in the launch, which came across in the content.

What role did consumer research or market analysis play in shaping the concept and its execution?

There was a large amount of consumer research on Lucozade’s side that got them to “Ice Kick” as the correct product positioning for their collaboration with Jude. All of that insight and analysis was key in ensuring our creative approach would ladder back up towards a product that would resonate with consumers.

Can you discuss any unique or unconventional production techniques or approaches used to bring the idea to life?

Nothing too unconventional beyond very smart use of body doubles and some best-in-class CGI. A thermal imagery camera was used for some of the tight skill move shots, which was fun for Ben to run around with.

The most unconventional production technique was perhaps how embedded social media was as part of this whole process. It was truly a social-first shoot where all assets were baked into the schedule and given time, as opposed to relegating social/other deliverables to a small window of time at the end. And this resulted in capturing more than expected, and of a high quality. And even though a TVC wasn’t part of the initial brief, the success of the ad meant that it debuted on TV during the FA Cup final halftime ad slot –  the team had the foresight to shoot & finish the film in 16:9 just in case Lucozade wanted it on TV in future, even though it wasn't in the deliverables list.

How did you ensure that the concept remained innovative and stood out in a crowded marketplace?

Collaborating with P Money on the soundtrack gave this campaign an edge to stand out in a crowded space. When watching the Champions League final ad break, it was quite noticeable the mood shift when the Ice Kick advert came on, with a bespoke grime track, full of energy – accompanied by visuals which felt grounded, interesting, authentic – and above all, in no way generic. A simple to understand, interesting idea, with Jude Bellingham at the heart of it – as it’s Jude’s appeal that obviously contributes to standing out also.

What do you hope it achieves for the brand?

Our initial aim was to drive a successful launch for Ice Kick, and by all metrics – from social stats to sales – that has been achieved. Now that a 30" of the film has made it to TV, I’d hope that Ice Kick encourages consumers to think of Lucozade as a modern brand with edge, who might surprise you with Jude x P Money collabs and cinematic, slick creative that competes with the best in the sports industry.

Credit list for the work?

Director - Ben Doyle (Rvbberduck)
Senior Producer - Jessica Ross-Dorman
Creative Director - Tom Brandhorst
Head of Sport - Joe Weston
Senior Account Director - Navjyot Sudan
Senior Account Manager - Beth Howell
Senior Creative - Polly Norkett

Music - P Money produced by Sir Spyro
Production Lead - We Are Social Studios
Production Company - Hawaii Films
Post Production - Okay Studios
VFX - Covert
Sound and music - Crispy Wav
Shopper agency - Zeal
Sports Marketing Partnerships - Wasserman
Media Agency - Essence MediaCom

Lucozade Credits:
Marketing Director - Tom Bell
Head of Sponsorships - Matt Riches
Head of Core Brand & Strategy - Holly Fergusson
Brand Manager - Annabel Rawsthorne