Who: Sodastream Canada and The Mint Agency, with OMD for media.
What: A new social content series, Keep Sparkling, that is part of a global campaign featuring Snoop Dogg. It’s the first time the brand has created Canadian-specific content at scale since arriving in the market in 2010, says SodaStream Canada general manager, Rena Nickerson.
When & Where: The digital/social campaign is running through the holidays, using SodaStream Canada’s owned and operated channels, complemented by PR and influencer relations, paid social, web banners and email marketing. It’s designed to augment what Nickerson describes as “evergreen” marketing approach that sees the brand on TV about 37 weeks each year, with search, shopper marketing and in-store merchandising programs.
Why: It’s about generating sales during a key period, and increasing household penetration. Once people try SodaStream, they tend to become fierce brand loyalists and advocates, said Nickerson. “It’s about getting our machines into people’s homes and helping them make that transformational change of sparkling their own water.”
How: In addition to using assets from “The small things” global campaign starring Snoop Dogg (see that ad below), SodaStream’s holiday campaign focuses on what Nickerson describes as the “small but important things” people do to make a difference in the life of others.
There are 15 content pieces in total, with the plan to introduce one or two a week through the end of the year. All of the content features Canada’s Drag Race winner Priyanka, who introduces short videos showing Canadians doing things for others.
The tagline for the videos is “Make the holidays sparkle with SodaStream.” The content series is deliberately constructed to be upbeat and optimistic at a time of year when people are generally feeling happy, but also feeling anxious amid a second wave of COVID, said Nickerson.
Why Priyanka: “She just has this very larger-than-life personality and is very bubbly and fun,” said Nickerson. “She’s got a great balance in that she’s confident and strong and very present, but she can also joke about herself. She’ll make self-deprecating jokes whenever she flubs a line, and we kept some of those jokes in because she’s just so real.”
What about the Snoop Dogg ad? SodaStream has made celebrities a key part of its marketing strategy, with Snoop joining other recognizable faces including Paris Hilton, The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik and Game of Thrones star Thor Björnsson.
Snoop has an innate ability to enliven just about everything he appears in, and this creative is no different. It’s a quintessential 2020 ad, with Snoop noting that he’s foregoing a big holiday gathering this year in favour of a small intimate gathering for just his family (although his children have his face, and his dog has the same braided hair).
The ad highlights the sustainability aspect that is a major component of SodaStream’s marketing, with an endangered sea turtle appearing to deliver the message about how SodaStream can cut down on plastic waste. SodaStream, which was acquired by Pepsi for $3.2 billion in 2018, has made a commitment to eliminate 67 billion single-use plastic bottles by 2025.
And we quote: “One of the insights that drives the campaign is that COVID-19 has brought a lot of big challenges for all of us. We see people fighting that darkness with small sparkling moments of joy. People are looking for ways to be more environmentally sustainable and conscious in their behaviour, and we know they appreciate the little things they can do to create less waste.” — Rena Nickerson, general manager, SodaStream Canada.
