NEW YORK — Vita Coco has enlisted a roster of professional athletes to serve as brand spokesmen in its new "Drafted by Nature" national marketing campaign.

The coconut water beverage brand said Wednesday that the campaign, launched in September and running through the end of 2014, features pro baseball, football and basketball players. They include Yasiel Puig of the L.A. Dodgers, Jadeveon Clowney of the Houston Texans, Manti Te’o of the San Diego Chargers, LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers, Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons, Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, and Giovani Bernard of the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as returning Vita Coco ambassador Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks.

The beach-themed Drafted by Nature campaign will feature each of the eight athletes in out-of-home, digital and shopper marketing programs designed to invite new consumers into the Vita Coco brand.

"Drinking coconut water is a part of my heritage and a great source of natural hydration both before and after a workout," the L.A. Dodgers’ Puig said in a statement. "Im excited to partner with Vita Coco and spread the word about the importance of fitness and natural hydration for all athletes, amateur or professional."

Vita Coco noted that the campaign will be one of the brand’s largest marketing efforts to date, leveraging the credibility of top athletes to educate consumers about fresh coconut water’s functional benefits.

"We are proud of Vita Coco’s loyal following among professional athletes, and we are thrilled to welcome these outstanding players to the Vita Coco family," stated Jeff Rubenstein, senior vice president of marketing at Vita Coco. "It’s exciting to see so many of our favorite athletes choosing Vita Coco for natural hydration benefits, on and off the field."

Vita Coco is sold at more than 100,000 retailers nationwide, including such food, drug, mass merchant and convenience store chains as Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Publix, Walgreens, CVS, 7-Eleven, Walmart, Costco and Target.