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Hint Water drew its name 21 years ago from its premise of making water more drinkable with just a hint of flavor. But the time for subtlety in its marketing is over as co launches steamy new campaign today that's dripping with both sex and water in effort to recruit new users, particularly younger ones, under rubric "Mmmmm water." Care to take a gander? It's right on website's home page. Effort via agency Mythology adopts the tropes of fragrance ads via "sultry, slow-burn hero films," per announcement, "that have absolutely no business being water commercials. Cinematic and tactile, they build tension through condensation, fruit and foreplay before revealing that the characters are in fact lusting over Hint." Director was Zach Tavel at BlinkInk, whose oeuvre will be familiar to BBI readers from hilariously offputting "Manjacket" effort behind RC Cola last fall that featured exceptionally hairy dude (BBI, Sep 12). Tavel followed similar misdirection tactic in "Loaded Italians" ad in which the rich and decadent subjects turn out to be proxy for Arby's sandwiches.In interview on Fri, Hint's CEO of past year and a half, Mike Pengue, a former Nestle Waters and Zoa Energy exec, said effort caps "transformational year" as his leadership team seeks to drive new bout of growth for brand that's been stagnant in recent years, albeit at revenue level well beyond $100 mil. That team includes svp/marketing chief Alli Cullman, a vet of Vita Coco, Anheuser-Busch and Zola (the wedding co, not the acai brand) who participated in call, and sales chief/gm Mike Atkins, a former colleague of Pengue's at Nestle Waters who also made extended stop at Q Drinks. Bolder new graphics look now has hit the market and new campaign - under broader umbrella "Water for People with Tastebuds," will seek to drive trial among users who might not have noticed brand before. Overall objective, Mike said, is to recruit new households and new users, bringing in a new generation in an environment he believes is ripe for brand like Hint from a health & wellness standpoint. Brand's "original mission is as relevant as ever, but the brand needed to evolve to achieve it," said Cullman. Pengue had signaled general new direction last fall (BBI, Sep 23).Here's logic, as Alli explained it. These days wellness can be a lot of work via supplements, biohacking and other trends. But Hint's perceived target consumer "would rather not try than try and fail." In any case, "our brains are designed to choose desire." (Along similar lines, former NY Times restaurant critic Pete Wells recently cited recent food research that makes "the case for ditching self-denial and embracing enjoyment" in moderating food intake.) So plan is "to make hydration and wellness irresistible . . . make Hint an object of desire." Popularity of songs like Taylor Swift's "Wood" suggests that campaign's tone is tapping into broader cultural moment. It's stark contrast with past Hint marketing efforts that focused more on what's not in the water: sugar, calories, artificials. "We're subverting expectations about what water can be," Cullman added. "People don't really think of water as an object of desire." Of course, in some ways Hint is following in path of Liquid Death in revving up emotional component within segment viewed as not very interesting to most consumers.Media plan? "All over your feed, over and over and over again," Cullman said. Pengue described campaign as largest in brand's history, funded at more than double level of any prior efforts. Media buy includes female-targeted vehicles like season 8 of Love Island as well as Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Partnership has been set with relationship expert Esther Perel and her "Where Should We Begin?" podcast.Crucial part of campaign will be NY component that musters brand's longstanding DSD partner, Big Geyser, to finally try to build meaningful immediate-consumption base of biz for brand via new 19.2-oz "stovepipe" can that's become familiar single-serve option on beer side. (As resident of NY, BBI editor noticed it took over a decade before first empty bottles started to turn up in city's gutters and trash bins as signal of some cold consumption.) NY deep dive will feature out-of-home, sampling and experiential components. Banners flying over beaches will slyly note, "Caught you staring at our cans." Co had discussed the stovepipe push at Expo West (BBI, Mar 2).Tho effort is big departure, Hint team was careful to lay groundwork methodically. With creative not ready for review yet, Cullman primed trade partners at likes of Walmart, Giant Eagle and Big Geyser by reading the scripts to them to make sure they bought in. Pengue's team was guided in other decisions by partners' instincts. For instance, they planned to release the stovepipe cans in just two flavors, but Big Geyser insisted they needed three. So three it is: Georgia Peach, Grape and Watermelon.

Hint Water Is Done with Subtle Hints About Wellness, Taking Steamier Tack in Biggest Campaign in 21-Yr History; Pleasure Rather Than Sacrifice Posited as Key to Healthy Hydration

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