Dive Brief:

• Alka-Seltzer is sponsoring a digital video series that shows how to make mocktails with its fizzy tablets, and provides tips on how to recover from celebrations for holidays like St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo and the Fourth of July, per an announcement. The series also showcases at-home party games.
• The Bayer-owned brand of pain reliever enlisted Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval, the bartenders from Bravo TV's "Vanderpump Rules," to host "Making Mocktails with Tom and Ariana" on Instagram's IGTV video platform. The brand released the first video last week, and plans to show two more episodes as people recover on the "Seis de Mayo" and "Fifth of July," per the announcement.
• BBDO Worldwide developed the video series as part of a bigger Alka-Seltzer Mocktails campaign that aims to help people recover from heartburn and headache the day after parties. The brand posted the mocktail recipes on a microsite, and people can see updates by following the #TheDayAfterMocktail hashtag on social media, per the announcement.

Dive Insight:

Bayer's Alka-Seltzer aims to inform and entertain viewers with the "Making Mocktails with Tom and Ariana" video series that features the "Vanderpump Rules" stars demonstrating how to make flavorful drinks with the effervescent pain reliever. As revelers prepare for a series of occasions associated with indulging in cocktails and rich food, like St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo, the series highlights recovery drinks like St. Patrick's Day Punch, Watermelon Fizz Mocktail and the Morning 'Mojito' Mocktail, among others. While virtual cocktail classes and video series have been a frequent tactic during the pandemic, Alka-Seltzer's medicinal spin on the trend is novel.

By running a series on IGTV, Alka-Seltzer can target younger adults who have increased their social media usage to keep in touch with others during the pandemic. An estimated 140 million people in the U.S. use Instagram, according to data compiled by Statista, giving Alka-Seltzer the possibility of reaching a broad audience with its video series. Instagram last year expanded shopping capabilities on IGTV, potentially giving Alka-Seltzer a way to sell to viewers directly.

Alka-Seltzer is among the marketers that have created original branded content to engage viewers who consume video on IGTV. Burger chain McDonald's last month began hosting a miniseries on IGTV as part of its celebrations for Lunar New Year. The series starred Korean American hip-hop artist and actor Dumbfoundead, and was part of a bigger multichannel campaign that also included a livestreamed concert. Apparel chain Abercrombie & Fitch in October began streaming a seven-part series about mental health and wellness in the LGBTQ community on the platform, and Anheuser-Busch's Stella Artois has run several video series on IGTV, including the beer brand's "Stella Sessions@Home" cooking show that provided information on how to support local restaurants during the pandemic.