Energy drink newcomer A SHOC is following a familiar script, going big in action sports marketing by signing an eight-figure, multi-year sponsorship deal with Thrill One Sports and Entertainment. This year A SHOC will have a presence across more than 80 skateboarding, rallycross, BMX and other events under the Thrill One tent, which includes Nitro Circus and Street League Skateboarding. The drink brand will also appear in Thrill One’s digital and linear content.
“A SHOC shares our vision for the advancement of action sports, from the grassroots to the professional ranks, and has committed to investing in our athletes, events and content through this landmark partnership,” Thrill One CEO Joe Carr said in a statement.
The Raine Group and Causeway Media Partners came together to create Thrill One in 2020, combining Nitro Circus and SLS before creating Nitro Rallycross (or NRX). At the time, leadership stressed that managing multiple action sports properties would make the overall package more enticing for brands.
Based in Newport Beach, Calif., A SHOC came to the U.S. market in 2020, touting an energy product with natural ingredients. Its distribution is managed by Keurig Dr Pepper. The brand has already stepped into sports through deals with skateboarder Paul Rodriguez and NASCAR driver Chase Elliott.
“Thrill One provides us access to the largest audience in action sports,” A SHOC co-founder and president Scot De Lorme said in a statement. “I couldn’t imagine a more ideal partner as we both capture this exciting evolution of sports and energy. We hope to inspire a new generation of energy consumers to live active healthy lifestyles.”
Energy drink sales sagged in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the last couple years have also seen an explosion of newcomers in the market. Brands like Bang, Celsius and C4 are eager to challenge category leaders Red Bull and Monster, both of which discovered that the fastest way into young people’s hands was often through their eyeballs.
