There was a time when hydration products spoke almost exclusively to athletes, preferably ones photographed mid-exertion with sweat glistening artfully on their foreheads. Liquid I.V., the Unilever-owned electrolyte brand, would like you to know that dehydration can also strike at an outdoor wedding, and that the remedy might involve a British R&B group called FLO.
The brand's new summer campaign, "Say Yes," features FLO in a 30-second spot that finds the trio wilting at a reception table, too heat-stricken to dance. A narrator helpfully observes that "water might not be enough." Stella Quaresma, a member of the group, distributes packets of Liquid I.V., and soon all three are back on their feet. (What, you were expecting them to order a Gatorade?)
The campaign arrives alongside a new flavor, Sugar-Free Ring Pop Cherry, developed in collaboration with Ring Pop — the candy that millennials wore on their fingers at summer camp before they knew what nostalgia was.
"We wanted to tap into that feeling of summer that's rich with nostalgia, joy, and excitement," said Stacey Andrade-Wells, Liquid I.V.'s chief marketing officer.
The partnership with FLO extends beyond the commercial. Liquid I.V. will exclusively debut the group's next single, "Remedied," ahead of the full album release in July. The spot will run across linear television, streaming, and social media, supported by a fleet of hydration trucks that will dispense samples at events including Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Ms. Andrade-Wells said the brand's focus on musicians grew from its longstanding presence at music festivals, where the combination of dancing and heat has a way of depleting the body. She also noted that the sugar-free formula required two years of research and development to perfect an allulose blend that meets the brand's hydration standards — sugar being, it turns out, an essential component of effective hydration.
But consumers, she said, do not want the technical details. They want to trust the product. The wedding spot offers a relatable scenario without requiring anyone to understand osmolality.
"It's our responsibility as a brand to communicate from a place of very high integrity on the scientific rigor," she said, "and be able to present that in a way that's easily digestible."
The pun, one suspects, was intentional.
Original story published in adweek.com: "Liquid I.V. and FLO Want to Make Nostalgia and Hydration a Summer Vibe"