Pepsi jumps into the water
The US beverage multinational discovers non-carbonated mineral water as a future market
The US beverage multinational discovers non-carbonated mineral water as a future marketBy Thérèse Balduzzi Just in time for the start of summer, Pepsi has launched a nationwide TV and print campaign in America for its non-carbonated mineral water called Aquafina. Coca-Cola also wants to enter the market with its own mineral water. Water is becoming the big new battleground for the giants.
The Aquafina advertisement emphasizes the importance of drinking enough water every day and reminds us that the body is made up of a high percentage of H2O. The Pool spot begins with a young man lolling in a deck chair by the pool, who notices a passing beauty in a bathing dress and shortly afterwards jumps into the pool to swim in her direction.
"Her eyes are 95 percent water," he says when he catches sight of her, "her muscles are 75 percent water" as he swims. On closer eye contact with the beauty, the voiceover remarks that her heart is 80 percent water. However, when she picks up her three children, the man dives underwater. "The lungs are also 80 percent water," is the final line.
The spot version Surfer follows a similar pattern, only here a young man gives his attention and affection to his surfboard and the waves, but is disappointed by the excessively cold temperature of the sea. The print campaign follows the same line and shows two women in a fashion store who are after the same shoes ("Eyes, 95 percent water") and at the same time grabbing them ("Muscles, 75 percent water").
The campaign was created by the agency J. Walter Thompson USA in New York and is aimed at the consumer group of 18 to 49-year-olds. Pepsi is said to want to invest around 15 million dollars in the campaign. In America, non-carbonated water is the beverage segment with the greatest growth potential. Last year, sales of branded water rose by 30 percent.
Water sales tripled in 1999
However, brand awareness of mineral water in America is not yet as developed as it is in Europe, which is why the various brands are beginning to carve out a place for themselves. Aquafina, which has been available nationwide in America since 1997, is the Pepsi brand with the highest growth rate. In the retail trade, the brand is already number one among the small bottles bought for on the go.
However, the company is only now investing money in its marketing. Pepsi hopes that Aquafina will become the third best-selling drink in its range. Although the sales volume is still disproportionate to its own brand Pepsi-Cola, the entry into the sector is important as Pepsi is struggling to increase sales of the cola drink.
With this campaign, Pepsi is also overtaking its competitor Coca-Cola, whose campaign for Dasani still water will be launched in the summer. As the single-serve Coke bottles are getting bigger and bigger, the impression is that a limit has been reached. It remains to be seen whether the battle between the giants for supremacy of their mineral waters will take on the same proportions as that for their main brands.
The Aquafina advertisement emphasizes the importance of drinking enough water every day and reminds us that the body is made up of a high percentage of H2O. The Pool spot begins with a young man lolling in a deck chair by the pool, who notices a passing beauty in a bathing dress and shortly afterwards jumps into the pool to swim in her direction.
"Her eyes are 95 percent water," he says when he catches sight of her, "her muscles are 75 percent water" as he swims. On closer eye contact with the beauty, the voiceover remarks that her heart is 80 percent water. However, when she picks up her three children, the man dives underwater. "The lungs are also 80 percent water," is the final line.
The spot version Surfer follows a similar pattern, only here a young man gives his attention and affection to his surfboard and the waves, but is disappointed by the excessively cold temperature of the sea. The print campaign follows the same line and shows two women in a fashion store who are after the same shoes ("Eyes, 95 percent water") and at the same time grabbing them ("Muscles, 75 percent water").
The campaign was created by the agency J. Walter Thompson USA in New York and is aimed at the consumer group of 18 to 49-year-olds. Pepsi is said to want to invest around 15 million dollars in the campaign. In America, non-carbonated water is the beverage segment with the greatest growth potential. Last year, sales of branded water rose by 30 percent.
Water sales tripled in 1999
However, brand awareness of mineral water in America is not yet as developed as it is in Europe, which is why the various brands are beginning to carve out a place for themselves. Aquafina, which has been available nationwide in America since 1997, is the Pepsi brand with the highest growth rate. In the retail trade, the brand is already number one among the small bottles bought for on the go.
However, the company is only now investing money in its marketing. Pepsi hopes that Aquafina will become the third best-selling drink in its range. Although the sales volume is still disproportionate to its own brand Pepsi-Cola, the entry into the sector is important as Pepsi is struggling to increase sales of the cola drink.
With this campaign, Pepsi is also overtaking its competitor Coca-Cola, whose campaign for Dasani still water will be launched in the summer. As the single-serve Coke bottles are getting bigger and bigger, the impression is that a limit has been reached. It remains to be seen whether the battle between the giants for supremacy of their mineral waters will take on the same proportions as that for their main brands.
