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Give 'G' An 'A' For Understanding AutismGatorade took a series of bold marketing steps to relaunch its brand. While some panned its initial teaser campaign, many parents of children with autism applaud it.Jan 26, 2009-By Kenneth HeinGatorade has caught a good deal of flack for rebranding itself simply as the letter 'G.' Teaser ads that ran for weeks did not come out and tell the consumer "Gatorade is now 'G.' Go out and buy some right away." Instead the spots showed what the brand stands for via a montage of black-and-white images of 28 legendary athletes.No image was more powerful to parents of children with autism than that of Jason McElwain. Nestled between the likes of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali was J-Mac.For those who do not know his story, this is what happened: J-Mac, as his teammates called him, has autism. As a student at Greece Athena High School in upstate Rochester, N.Y., he was welcomed by the basketball squad as a teammate and a friend, although his job was to provide support and help clean up after the game. As a mostly symbolic gesture, the team's coach told the student body that J-Mac would get into the final game of the season last year, even if only for a few plays. The students, in support of their friend, held up signs bearing his photo. Well, J-Mac missed his first shot, leaving his coach to wonder how long he should leave him in. After all, he didn't want to make a spectacle of such a well-loved student. And then something amazing happened: J-Mac hit a 3-pointer. The gym erupted.Then he hit another and another and another. When he was through he set the school record for most 3-pointers ever hit in a game (6) and he scored 20 points in four minutes.
