‘It was only fitting’: Merrick Watts ambushes Gladiator premiere with new sports drink

Hollywood stars hit the red carpet this week for the Australian premiere of the highly-anticipated Gladiator II in Sydney, but there was another surprise that took place after the screening.

Stars of the Ridley Scott-directed sequel to the 2000 blockbuster including Paul Mescal, Fred Hechinger and Connie Nielsen attended the ICC Sydney for the event, but Aussie comedian and presenter Merrick Watts may have stolen the show.

To promote his newly-launched sports drink, Posca Hydrate – “the original sports drink of the ancient world” – Watts attended the premiere complete in Gladiator attire and after the screening, the team set up a guerilla activation where they handed out samples as the thousands in attendance left the venue.

“Given Posca is the original sports drink of the ancient world – ACTUALLY drunk by Gladiators – it was only fitting that we made an appearance on red carpet at the Gladiator II premiere as part of our launch campaign for Posca Hydrate,” Watts told Mumbrella.

“Like our brand’s no regrets ethos, we are bold and don’t do anything half-baked, so we thought what better way to bring to life the association between Posca Hydrate and Gladiators than attend the premiere.

“It was a bit weird being the only person in cosplay but hey, I’m not like other people, am I?!  Even though Paul Mescal refused to have a pic with me, I still had an absolute ball.”

Posca Hydrate is co-founded by Watts and CEO Ed Stening. The drink is promoted as “Australia’s first sugar-free sparkling hypertonic drink in a can… designed to hydrate modern-day warriors and health-conscious consumers”.

The team is rounded out by ex-Lion creative director, Mick Boston, former AFFINITY senior strategist, Dani Collins, as its digital marketing manager, while the advisory board includes Thinkerbell co-founder, Adam Ferrier, and Lion chief growth and commercial officer, Anubha Sahasrabuddhe.

Stening (left) and Watts (right)

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Neil Griffiths

Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.

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topics Adam Ferrier Anubha Sahasrabuddhe Dani Collins Ed Stening Gladiator Gladiator II Gladiator premiere Merrick Watts Mick Boston Paul Mescal Paul Mescal Gladiator Posca Hydrate

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