Avid water drinkers can now look forward to being paid for doing just that — drinking water.
This is thanks to an innovative out-of-home (OOH) campaign launched by Kraft-Heinz brand mio, which turns reusable water bottles into ad space.
With the aim of appealing to Gen Z’s latest obsession with reusable water bottles, "Bottle Boards," helmed by creative ideas agency RETHINK, is tapping into sustainable ad space.
How? By paying each customer $1,400 for their returned bottles and using mini billboards that can be snapped onto the bottles.
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Adrian Villalpando, brand manager at mio, says the brand is focused on turning hydration into a personal and rewarding experience.
“Just when you thought giant water bottles couldn’t take up any more space in people’s lives, these absurd accessories started blowing up.
We figured if people want to turn a water bottle into something as ridiculous as a purse or a dinner tray, then why not a revenue stream?” Max Bingham, creative director at Rethink, told DesignRush.
By capitalizing on a trend and a worthy cause, and incentivizing its consumers to advertise its products in the process, mio is not only strengthening its position as an industry leader but also building a positive brand affinity.
Engaging Gen-Z Through Customization and Sustainability
For the "Bottle Boards" campaign, mio drew on popular behavior by its target market, Gen Z, who has taken customization to new levels by “decking out” their reusable water bottles with everything from personal fans to phone chargers.
According to the University of Southern California, 96% of Gen Z opt for reusable water bottles, making it a popular way to reduce plastic consumption.
Armed with this data, the campaign opens a new avenue for advertising while giving the brand and its consumers a meaningful way to express their creativity.
“We knew that if we were going to reach GEN Z, we had to meet them where they are — and that probably wasn’t going to be on some highway billboard.
By turning people’s bottles into a full-blown side hustle, we’re taking the message of mio’s benefits where it couldn’t really go otherwise — to lecture halls, music festivals, and the treadmills at the gym,” said Rethink Creative Director Brendan Scullion explained.
You can apply for a mio bottle board here to earn some extra cash.
mio's campaign is much like Ikea, which transformed the windows of people’s homes into ad space with specially printed roller blinds, creating a win-win situation for both the brand and its consumers.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
