There was drama at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, when Sebastian Vettel stole a victory over his Red Bull team mate Mark Webber. Despite the tensions within the Red Bull team, it will be Jensen Button and the McLaren team that will be under scrutiny by bosses at Lucozade, after he was unveiled as the brand ambassador for a new limited-edition high-performance sport drink.

Button - who was forced to retire in 17th place in Malaysia after leaving the pit with a wheel not properly attached - is the new face of Lucozade Champion’s Choice, which was launched last week.

The NPD and high-profile signing represent an interesting move given that Lucozade, along with stable-mate Ribena (to continue a horsepower theme), are still under review by parent company GSK. So far GSK has remained tight-lipped about whether it will keep hold of the brands, and a decision is not expected until the summer.

However, at the GSK Live+ event last week, the company was keen to promote the innovation and the strength of its brands. “GSK is perfectly placed to lead a sustainable growth agenda,” shopping controller Sarah Fleetwood told delegates, outlining the strength of the soft drinks industry and pointing out that the sports and energy sector was one of the fastest growing.

So far, so good, but although Lucozade Energy has been riding the wave of this growth, Lucozade Sport has seen sales slide - and the new brand is not going for the type of mass-market volume approach that might halt the decline.

Lucozade brand director Simon Freedman quipped that the Button-backed drink was “not targeting fat people in tracksuits” but those engaged in high-level sport, with marketing aimed at this particular sector. The challenge to unlock growth, he said, would be to communicate the three key benefits of sport drinks: rehydration, replacing lost electrolytes and energy, and a kick of caffeine for mental stimulation.

With Button’s face on the bottle and a mini racing car FDU in selected stores, let’s hope his performance on track in Malaysia doesn’t become prophetic for Lucozade’s Champion Choice.

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