laterade

Laterade is a fictional beverage that appears in the animated television series South Park. It is a sports drink created by the characters Stan Marsh and Kyle Broflovski in the episode "Stanley's Cup". The drink is presented as a superior alternative to traditional sports drinks, with a unique marketing strategy that emphasizes its supposed natural ingredients and advanced formula.

In the episode, Stan and Kyle develop Laterade as a way to improve the performance of their hockey team. They believe that existing sports drinks are ineffective and that their own concoction, made with a variety of ingredients including "electrolytes and stuff," will give them a competitive edge. The marketing campaign for Laterade is portrayed as over-the-top and pseudo-scientific, highlighting the characters' earnest but misguided attempts to create a successful product.

The humor surrounding Laterade stems from its exaggerated claims and the naive enthusiasm of its creators. It serves as a satirical commentary on the marketing of sports drinks and the consumer culture that often buys into such claims without critical examination. While Laterade itself is a fictional creation, it has become a recognizable element within the South Park universe, often referenced in discussions about the show's humor and its commentary on popular trends. The drink's name is a play on words, combining "later" with "Gatorade," another popular sports drink brand.