Vitamin Water

Vitamin Water (“hydrate responsibly”) has invaded the UBC Campus, as well as the rest of Vancouver! From the neighbourhood corner store to vending machines, the presence of colored, vitamin-enhanced water is not only a health boost but a style statement. I spent a good portion of Friday afternoon keeping my eyes peeled on different flavors and prices of Vitamin Water on campus. The cheapest was at a sold-out vending machine in the UBC Student Union Building for $2.25. The corner store was selling it for $2.29 while the food court and 99 Chairs was selling it for upwards of $2.50 per bottle. Vitamin Water also made an appearance in the season 2 premier of Gossip Girls and a quick Google Search confirms a strong support by celebrities (ie. Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, Shaquille O’Neal, etc.). It’s not so much what the drink has to offer to quench your thirst – it’s the entire branding behind it and its buzzing presence in the media.

O.B. Promotion – “mighty small”

**comic from asofterworld.com.

Speaking of tampons…this entry is for the ladies!
Not too long ago, I was contacted through Modern Mix Vancouver by Matchstick, a Toronto “word of mouth” company with O.B. as one of its clients.  After answering a few preliminary questions, I was postal-mailed a huge (as in the-length-of-my-arm) trial kit with a ton of goodies, aka a comfort pack which included a bottle of EXTRA STRENGTH TYLENOL, a hot water bottle, the newest issue of Elle Canada, and a ton of tampon samples with cutesy, stylish case packaging (see picture on left – my friend and I were joking about reusing them for mints or gum), and an aluminum water bottle branded with the words “mighty small”.

You may or may not have seen the recent O.B. advertisements in magazines, but I believe they are trying to promote the company’s sustainability measures.  I’ve scoured the internet, but I can’t seem to find the one I’m thinking of so I will try my best to describe it to you instead.  Basically, it’s a full page magazine print for O.B. but only 58% of the page is utilized for the advertisement, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to less waste in their products – aka no applicator.

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For your own O.B. Samples, click here!

Moxies – new advertising campaign

As I was transitting to work this morning, I noticed that a new advertising campaign lined the walls of Burrard Station.  THINGS HAPPEN.  Racier and more daring than their classic, conservative website, ThingsHappen.ca is a summer promotion for Moxie’s.

There is a series of three advertising banners:
1) The magnetic force from a man (from a magnet company) is sitting at the bar and unconciously “pulls” the lady over to him.

2) The mere “hotness” from a firefighter causes a woman to seductively try to cool herself while leaning over the bar counter.

3) The wind from a man from a fan company causes a lady’s’ skirt to fly teasingly upwards.

The point is: things happen!  For Moxie’s summer menu, click here.

5 Gum – still distributed by Vancouver street teams

HEY party people and night owls, when a black SUV pulls up to a club it’s either a high-rolling celebrity or a drive-by shooting.  Not this time.  It was just the Wrigley street team handing out free gum.  Even though 5 Gum was introduced to the Canadian market circa January 2008, samples are still being handed out – predominantly in the nightlife scene.  I was standing in line at Redroom in Vancouver on Saturday May 17th (coincidentally my birthday) at around 11pm for the Martijn Ten Velden concert when I was generously handed three packs of sugar-free gum in COBALT flavor.  Currently, there are three flavors of gum, RAIN (green), FLARE (red) and COBALT (blue).  All three flavors are packaged in a distinct black cardboard box, reminiscent of a cigarette carton (or a deck of cards), with 15 sticks of flat, rectangular gum wrapped in brightly colored foil.  I suppose it tastes good – it’s hard to criticize when you are being handed free gum.  I like how there are more pieces than in Dentyne and how the packaging is streamlined and sleek.  As for brand loyalty?  (Hey, I’m a marketing student – this is how I think) I wouldn’t see myself buying this brand over another or being overly attached to it.  Gum is gum, and often an impulse buy (or a Costco buy).  So good try, Wrigley, thanks for the free gum.