In its first major marketing announcement since rebranding from Guayakí to Yerba Madre, the California-based brand is tripling down on sports partnerships, via three new soccer-related initiatives.
The yerba mate maker is now an official sponsor of this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament – where it will own “Extra Time” with namedrops during live PA announcements and videoboard appearances. It also struck a multi-year partnership with fledgling Northeast soccer team Vermont Green FC.
The announcement also includes the launch of a new “cross-sport athlete collective” of individual brand ambassadors from across the world of sports, including NBA stars, pro skaters and surfers, and, yes, more soccer; Angel City FC players Madison Hammond and Casey Phair are among the inaugural class of athletes who will be promoting Yerba Madre this year.
The focus on soccer is a continuation of the brand’s dedication to its origins as a traditional South American beverage, where soccer is the among the most popular pro sports across the continent.
With the rebranding now in market, mission and tradition have been front and center in Yerba Madre’s messaging and its sports marketing campaigns appear to also reflect that approach.
This announcement also displays the ever-evolving nature of beverage brands’ sports marketing playbook. Independent brands have increasingly built their own rosters of athlete partners, from Coco5 to Loom to, of all brands, STōK Cold Brew. As such, being a “sports drink” is no longer a requirement to field a team in the space.
“As we bring the mate tradition into U.S. sports, we’re partnering with organizations and athletes who care about more than just visibility. They want shared purpose, and that’s exactly what we are building together,” said Yerba Madre CMO Emily Kortlang.
It’s also reflective of the way Yerba Madre CEO Ben Mand has approached his corporate growth strategy.
At BevNET Live Summer 2025 last week, Mand said he pays special attention to the “core principles” of the business – with sustainability and supporting farmers being chief among those principles – and getting out in the field to listen to suppliers, consumers and all partners in the company before making radical decisions… like changing the name of a nearly 30 year old product.