How do you launch a 40 year old hydration brand in a sea of hydration?

Let people taste it for themsleves. We sent out the Pocari crew in three markets to hand Pocari at over 100 events.

Challenge

In a world dominated by Gatorade, Poweraid, and every new hydration drink, Pocari came to Mile 9 for help.  How could we introduce a 40-year brand with only one flavor to California consumers?  The answer was simple – trial and education.  Pocari is designed to replenish the sweat lost by exercising. 

Brave Idea

Through simple and clear messaging across multiple touch points, we hit the competitive California market with one goal in mind – to drive awareness that there is a better hydration solution.

Our creative messaging was translated seamlessly into an integrated campaign that included Digital, Social, and Experiential.  Our campaign hit the road for 8 months and had everyone experiencing true hydration. 

Through a sponsorship with the LA Angels, we were able to generate brand awareness through the players interacting and using the product.

We created a spot that was baseball-related and based on Global messaging. We ran geo-targeted ads on YouTube and Meta designed to drive awareness and support retailers.

Being a foreign product we knew we needed to get people to try it. Our multi-city activation tour was designed to go where people get dehydrated and allowed us the opportunity to educate consumers on why Pocari is the ultimate hydration drink. We conducted over 100 activations in 3 markets.

Great Business Results

Estimated eyes on the campaigns were over 10 million – 150,000+ samples were distributed, and over 500,000 people were exposed to Pocari.  Our digital campaign saw over 500,000 impressions and helped secure 3 retailers.

Let's Get to Work