Ad Campaign for Tap Water Proclaims Obama Victory
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11. 1.08
Image courtesy of Tappening
In what’s being described as a ‘wild postings’ campaign, the anti-bottled water company Tappening will fill top markets, including Washington DC, with ads that congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the next President-elect. And the ads are debuting four days before the election.
It’s a brazen publicity stunt, sure—but the most effective advertising campaigns are often exactly that. In fact, Tappening’s previous semi-controversial ad campaign suggested that the candidates both had a drinking problem--they were drinking bottled water.
The Pro Tap Water Ads
Other ads, in addition to the one pictured above, will feature slogans such as:
• "Congratulations on winning the election and switching to tap water, President-elect Obama"
• "President-elect Obama, you stopped drinking bottled water. Then you won the election. Coincidence?"
• "Start Your Own Economic Bailout: Stop Spending Money on Bottled Water"
• "The Government's Not Bailing You Out: Bail on the Bottle. Turn to Tap"
• "You can drink 1,000,000 glasses of tap water and it would still cost less than a single bottled water."
And since Tappening is an admirable, for-profit company that’s seeking to capitalize on a decline of bottled water (one of the most needlessly impact-heavy industries in operation), its intentionally controversial ad campaigning seems more than justified. Tappening has over 5.5 million hits clocked in on their website (thanks in no small part to the tenacious advertising), where the company sells BPA-free water bottles designed to harness the potential of tap water.
Branding Tap Water
What Tappening seems to be doing is branding tap water itself—and it’s a smart move. Nowhere on the ads do we see the company’s water bottles. There’s only a denouncement of bottled water, and a sort of savvy push towards tap. It’s reminiscent of the “Got Milk?” ads in this sense, since the advertising is aimed at a commodity instead of a particular product. This could prove to be a successful way to recalibrate public conception of drinking tap water—with the idea itself being pushed to the forefront, and the company responsible taking a back seat to the message.
It’s an interesting methodology to be sure, and worthy stab at a largely (warning: not-so-slick-or-adman-savvy pun incoming) untapped market.
More on Tap Water and Bottled Water:
Great Chefs Prefer Tap Water : TreeHugger
What's in the Water ? Ask the National Tap Water Quality Database ...
Back to the Tap : Filtered Water Bottle : TreeHugger
Carbonfund.org Offsetting 3 Billion Pounds of CO2
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The TH Interview: Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's
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(sigh)
Just what is needed in a race with so much tension already.
Great.
Now we've got an "environmental" company feeding McCain's silly "measuring the drapes" argument.
Just what we need. I won't be buying a bottle from them.
@ Anon
Did you read the article?
"Tappening has over 5.5 million hits clocked in on their website (thanks in no small part to the tenacious advertising), where the company sells BPA-free water bottles designed to harness the potential of tap water."
Tappening sells bottles, I don't like they way they're handling their ads, so therefore I won't be buying a bottle from them.
@ Anon
Did you read the article?
"Tappening has over 5.5 million hits clocked in on their website (thanks in no small part to the tenacious advertising), where the company sells BPA-free water bottles designed to harness the potential of tap water."
Tappening sells bottles, I don't like they way they're handling their ads, so therefore I won't be buying a bottle from them.
RAiyn, Id hate to misinterpret sarcasm... but "I won't be buying a bottle..."
Sorta the point.
The election has beccome a circus, it is deplorable how much fuel is consumed by those in politics. Can't we return to simpler times, why do they have to truck busloads and airplane loads of reporters along to catch every burp they produce, and then spin something out of that. Its time we get real and demand our politicians come back down to earth.
Wow, I have no idea how that happened. A double post that's time stamped BEFORE the person I was replying to........wha?