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January 8, 2016Matthew Dellavedova has perhaps the highest Q score of any Australian NBA player, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to capitalize on that via a partnership with Aussie-based Sanitarium, maker of UP&GO liquid breakfasts. As part of the agreement, the Cavs will hold a special Australia Day celebration at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday, January 25, when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Cavs announced the deal Monday.
The special theme night tips off a new partnership between the Cavs and Australian-based company Sanitarium, which produces the popular breakfast drink UP&GO. UP&GO will be the official Australian Breakfast of the Cleveland Cavaliers and will receive rights and benefits in Cleveland, and on team channels to promote the relationship.
“As the Cavaliers popularity continues to grow, the Cavaliers are proud to be establishing these types of partnerships,” said Len Komoroski, Cavaliers CEO. “From Cleveland to Australia, we are thrilled to dedicate a game to a country with a fan base that loves Cavs basketball.”
Dellavedova signed an individual endorsement deal with Sanitarium as well.
“The partnership with Australia’s leading breakfast category brand, UP&GO with the Cavaliers and Matt Dellavedova is strong endorsement of the growth and presence of Australian players in the NBA and the strong NBA fan base in Australia”, says Daniel Derrick, Sanitarium’s General Manager, Marketing.
Dellavedova’s play in last year’s NBA Playoffs elevated him to newfound levels of stardom, both in Cleveland and in his hometown of Maryborough, Victoria, Australia. Additionally, Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne and holds dual citizenship in Australia and the U.S.
Delly and the Cavs were excited about the news.
The Australia Day game will be broadcast in Australia live on ESPN. It’s a January 25 game in the States, but due to the time difference the game will be seen on January 26 in Australia — when Australia Day is celebrated in the country. Australia Day is a national holiday commemorating “the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip.” Big shout to Wikipedia.
The Cavs will wear their gold jerseys and have all sorts of extras to celebrate the occasion.
The special theme night will start with the “UP&GO Cavaliers Breakfast Show,” a 20-minute live streamed pregame show on Cavs.com. The game presentation will include the Cavs wearing their gold uniforms to honor the colors of Australia (gold and green), the singing of the Australian national anthem and a host of in-game tributes and promotions.
The Aussie national anthem, in case you’re unfamiliar. (Do the opening notes remind anyone else of those from “Cleveland Rocks”?)
But Will, you say, I want — nay, need! — to know more about this UP&GO breakfast drink. You think I’m going to blindly support this product just because it’s from down under? Sell me on it, man! Fair point. Let us explore exactly what UP&GO breakfast drink is all about. Aussie tastes are surely different than American ones, and we need to figure out if this thing will be viable in Cleveland.
For starters, there’s an UP&GO for virtually every taste. There are vanilla (The official flavor name? Vanilla Ice!), chocolate, strawberry, banana, and caramel flavours. There’s a fan-voted peanut butter version available for a limited time only. There are gluten-free and reduced sugar options for the health-conscious. There’s an “Oats2Go” version made with whole grain oats. The “Energize” offerings contain twice the protein of the standard drinks, perfect for those looking to build mass in the gym.
If the flavours themselves don’t pique your interest, maybe the UP&GO marketing team can. Do you feel rushed in the morning? Can’t find the time to prepare a decent brekky before work? Sick of thinking about stuff all the time? UP&GO is here for you.
Do you find yourself racing out the door each workday morning without having had breakfast? Or are you one of the 20% of employees who now eat breakfast at work? Sanitarium’s UP&GO liquid breakfast is a convenient choice for when you are on the go. We’ve done the thinking for you to help get your day off to a nutritious start.
YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ANYMORE — they’ve done that part for you. To hell with data-driven automation. UP&GO is all you need to simplify your life.
Another thing I like and respect about UP&GO is that it doesn’t shy away from competition. It says all over its official literature that just one 250-milliliter UP&GO (about 8.5 ounces) has “the protein, energy and fibre of 2 Weet-Bix and milk.”1 If that doesn’t strike you as a shots-fired situation, it should. Weet-Bix, you see, is a popular, established cereal biscuit and one of Australia’s most beloved products, full stop. In fact, in 2006 Weet-Bix was chosen via online poll as the country’s favourite trademark, besting the likes of Vegemite food paste and Qantas Airlines. UP&GO ain’t scared. It’s coming straight at Weet-Bix like Delly going at Steph.
(At this point it warrants mentioning that UP&GO and Weet-Bix are both Sanitarium products, so it’s more of a Coke vs. Diet Coke situation than Mom & Pop vs. Halliburton, but whatever. I’m Team UP&GO for life.)
- Based on the amount of protein, energy and fibre in 30g Weet-Bix and 125ml full cream milk [↩]