BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Essentia Water, the pioneer of ionized alkaline bottled water in the U.S., launched an evolution of the brand’s identity through a fully-integrated campaign to build broad brand awareness and visibility on a national stage. The campaign, with a concentrated focus in key markets including Los Angeles, New York City and Portland, is based on Essentia’s belief that better hydration helps people do all the things that make them extraordinary and “unlocks their full potential” whether they’re an athlete, a musician, a computer programmer or a student.
“With this new brand campaign, we are fueling a movement around better rehydration.1 It’s not about one celebrity or athlete voicing our message. We’re a democratic brand and we are calling out to all people who aspire to be a better version of themselves to join the Essentia Nation,” said Karyn Abrahamson, VP of Marketing and Brand Innovation at Essentia Water. “We are also evolving our marketing efforts from purely product-centric to becoming an aspirational lifestyle brand that we believe people will connect with both physically and emotionally. A brand that understands and cares about what they care about—healthy living and being at the top of their game.”
Bottled water is now the number one drink in the U.S. for the first time in history, outpacing soda sales. According to Beverage Marketing Corp, consumption of bottled water reached 39.3 gallons per capita in 2016, while carbonated soft drinks slipped to 38.5 gallons. The premium unflavored bottled water category, where Essentia lives, has grown especially rapidly: approximately 20 percent annually over the past three years. This increase of consumers looking for healthier alternatives to sugary drinks has allowed bottled water to break through, but with that comes the need for differentiation. With this new campaign and its proprietary ionization process, Essentia has the potential to disrupt the premium water category amidst competition from large beverage companies. The company is already demonstrating accelerated growth, doubling in retail sales in 2015 and 2016, and projected to do it again in 2017.
The campaign encompasses a new logo, new tagline, a unique photography style, out-of-home elements, radio and digital placements, paid social media, influencer marketing, field marketing, a newly designed corporate website, and in-store retail displays and POS. Out-of-home elements such as billboards, wall murals, subway panels, bus shelters and transit will reach people where they live, work and play. Consumers will also experience the campaign in more expansive, engaging ways. Billboards will appear in the streets of Soho in New York, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Playa Vista in Los Angeles among other places. A hand-painted mural in a high-traffic area of Williamsburg, NY will feature a Snapchat wall with five different “overachievers” from the worlds of sports, entertainment, and publishing, as well as the U.S. military. These overachievers include John Ross, the 2017 First-Round Draft Pick for the Cincinnati Bengals; Sasha Lane, acclaimed actress best known for her breakout role in “American Honey”; Kelsey Plum, #1 pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft; Joe La Puma, VP of Content Strategy at Complex Media; and Justin Widhalm, a Paralympic athlete from the U.S. Military Endurance Sports program.2 Passersby can scan the Snapchat codes to reveal stunning photography and inspiring stories from these overachievers on the newly designed website. A vinyl version of the wall will be displayed in Portland, near the Moda Center, later in the summer.
“We’re excited about this brand campaign, as we think it will resonate well with retailers and consumers,” said Tony Haralambos, president of Haralambos Beverage Company in southern California, one of Essentia Water’s distributors. “We have always stood behind unique and innovative brands, making a partnership with Essentia a natural one for us. The velocity of this product has already been impressive so this campaign will bring Essentia to new heights.”
Sticks, an investigative strategy company, Retail Voodoo, a leading brand strategy, packaging and experience design agency, and Periscope, one of the largest independent, integrated creative agencies in the nation, all played key roles in Essentia Water’s brand evolution, market research, messaging framework, and creative execution.
“We started this brand evolution journey almost two years ago, so it’s exhilarating to see it finally come to life through hard work by our employees and partners,” said Ken Uptain, CEO and founder of Essentia Water. “Broadening our visibility across the nation puts Essentia in the primetime spotlight to compete successfully within the premium bottled water category.”
About Essentia Water LLC
Headquartered in Bothell, Washington, Essentia Water LLC produces supercharged ionized alkaline water with a 9.5 pH or higher that’s better at rehydrating.1 Pioneered in 1998, years ahead of industry trends, Essentia continues to be the #1 alkaline water brand sold nationally and the #1 selling bottled water in natural grocery stores. Essentia Water is the only water included in the Physician’s Desk Reference and has been clinically shown to be better at rehydrating than a leading bottled water brand.1 It’s available nationwide in approximately 50,000 retail locations and Amazon. It can also be found in the main water or natural beverage section of most major grocery stores as well as in most health/natural food stores. To learn more about Essentia, please visit www.essentiawater.com or connect with Essentia on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
1 Results of a double-blind, placebo controlled clinical study with Essentia Water vs. a leading bottle water in healthy subjects over two hours following moderate aerobic exercise.
2 These individuals have paid sponsorship agreements with Essentia.
