The grand Super Bowl tradition of soaking coaches with Gatorade

Stephen Dunn | Getty Images

The New England Patriots celebrate late in the game against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona.

Nothing says victory like a coach getting dunked with Gatorade.

A tradition that started in 1987, the Gatorade dunk has evolved into an iconic event that has put the PepsiCo’s sport drink brand on center stage.

While not the biggest day for Gatorade retail sales, the Super Bowl is the biggest day of the year “in terms of exposure and showcase of what we do,” said Brett O’Brien, General Manager of Gatorade.

“It’s such a massive sporting event, there’s no better time to see Gatorade powering the athlete,” he told CNBC recently, noting that Gatorade’s actual sales peak during the warmer months.

“This would be there biggest dunk of the year,” said Eric Smallwood, president of APEX Marketing Group, who estimates that Gatorade has received over $18 million worth of publicity after appearing in 22 of 33 Super Bowls.