Tom Carroll, former CEO of ad agency TBWA Worldwide, remembers watching Cam Newton play at Auburn during his Heisman Trophy-winning season. When the TV cameras swung toward Newton after another TD, the young QB draped a Gatorade towel around his shoulders — with the famous sports brand easily visible to viewers. Newton even managed to intrigue the media about what flavors of Gatorade were in his "Cammy Cam Juice." (CBS Sports sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson even tried it on national TV).
Sitting in his living room, the adman thought to himself: Here's a young athlete with his eyes on the prize.