Energy drink brand Accelerator Active Energy believes their history with athlete creators gives them a competitive edge in connecting with fans.

This month, they'll roll out a new campaign led by gymnast Livvy Dunne, where both professional and informal videos will showcase revamped packaging and the athlete's own affection for the brand. One short in the "This Can. So You Can." campaign has Dunne celebrating 1 million cans sold of her favorite flavor, Cotton Candy.

Accelerator Active Energy's partnership with Dunne, a former member of the LSU Tigers women's gymnastics team and a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, highlights how brands can take advantage of the reach athlete creators have created and cultivate loyalty through up-and-coming personalities.

Athletes' competitive edge

Accelerator Active Energy wants to build on their nearly 800,000 followers on TikTok. They're looking to tap into what their fans enjoy and share the experience to build lasting affinity.

“Overall, beyond conversion, we really want to make these consumers a part of our community that we’re building,” said Zach Schotz, vice president of marketing at Accelerator Active Energy. He said creator audiences become brand fans and seek out information through the creators' accounts or are driven to purchase directly from Amazon and Walmart.com.

The community that the Accelerator Active Energy seeks to build includes the creators themselves. Dunne, Travis Kelce, and other high-profile athletes who have appeared in Accelerator Active Energy’s campaigns are also investors in the company, reflecting creators’ growing stakes in the brands they boost.

As creator marketing has matured, brands have to be more selective in their partnerships, even when it is a slightly more niche target like athletes. That's why Accelerator Active Energy has chosen resonant personalities like Dunne and is seeking to engage with younger, passionate fans. Schotz said the brand uses name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals to support a college ambassador program and fold in the next generation of athlete creators.

Next generation of ambassadors

Accelerator Active Energy's college ambassador program includes college athletes who likely haven’t had national exposure, but have ideas to contribute about how to promote the brand.

Schotz said that some college ambassadors were invited when Dunne’s recent campaign was shot in West Palm Beach, Florida. The brand content team blocks out time at these shoots for ambassadors to make their own content and contribute to the wider campaign.

“A lot of our college ambassadors have come together, and we’ve had them at some of our production shoots,” Schotz said. “They’ve come to the shoot with ideas, which I think is really cool. With TikTok now, anyone can be a creator and come up with ideas, and we’re all ears.”

Dunne has roots in college athletics as a member of the LSU Tigers gymnastics team, and used that early spotlight to transition into a top brand ambassador. She has landed endorsements with Grubhub, Vuori, and will have a recurring role in the upcoming “Baywatch” reboot from Fox. She has grown her reach to 7.9 million followers on TikTok, and 5.2 million followers on Instagram.

Accelerator Active Energy's college ambassador program builds good faith with younger consumers and puts the brand in excellent position to partner with the next wave of athlete creators.

New flavors and channels

This lineup of national and regional athlete creators provides a solid base for the brand to grow.

It has a notable year planned with new flavors, patriotic milestones, and testing out emerging marketplaces.

Accelerator Active Energy kicked off 2026 by launching the new flavor Citrus Freeze, and it is planning to unveil another flavor in June. Then in July, the brand will join in on the 250th anniversary of the United States, and use the cultural moment to springboard through the summer, Schotz said.

Though the brand currently relies on ecommerce giants, creator marketing gives them an advantage in social commerce markets like TikTok Shop. The brand will also continue to reevaluate its retail strategy as ecommerce channels continue to evolve.

“Right now for us the priority is Amazon and Walmart.com,” said Schotz. “But I think we’ll get to a point where we could see more on TikTok Shop. I think TikTok Shop is just constantly changing, but there’s definitely some value there as well.”

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