BOTHELL, Wash. -- Nearly 20 years after its debut, a premium bottled water brand reached out to the mainstream this week with the launch of a marketing campaign in conjunction with new packaging and brand identity.
Essentia Water, an ionized alkaline bottled water first introduced in 1998, will bring its new brand identity to consumers through a fully integrated campaign to build broad brand awareness and visibility on a national stage. The "Overachieving H2O" campaign, unveiled May 16, will have a concentrated focus in key markets of Los Angeles, New York City and Portland, Ore., expressing Essentia’s belief that better hydration helps people do all the things that make them extraordinary and “unlocks their full potential," the company said.
“With this new brand campaign, we are fueling a movement around better rehydration," said Karyn Abrahamson, vice president of marketing and brand innovation for Essentia Water, Bothell, Wash. "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."
Bottled water is now the most consumed drink in the United States, outpacing soda sales last year. 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 especially grown rapidly, approximately 20% annually in the past three years.
With this new campaign, Essentia hopes to "disrupt the premium water category."
The campaign includes a new logo, new tagline, out-of-home elements (billboards, murals, bus-shelter ads, etc.), radio and digital placements, paid social media, influencer marketing, field marketing, a newly designed corporate website, and in-store retail displays and POS.
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.”
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