Coca-Cola builds on sparkling water momentum with first Aha campaign

Dive Brief:

Coca-Cola has launched its first comprehensive ad campaign for the sparkling water beverage brand Aha, per a company press release. Launched in March 2020 and offering eight flavors, Aha is Coca-Cola's first new brand in over a decade.
The campaign, titled "Can I Get an Aha?" and developed in partnership with Preacher, consists of two humorous commercials featuring comedic actors Lauren Lapkus, from "Orange Is the New Black," and Colton Dunn, from "Superstore." Beginning May 10, 30- and 15- second versions of two video spots will run online, on social and major streaming services like Hulu, Tubi and Roku. Creative will also appear on audio and OOH channels through October.
"Can I Get an Aha?" sees the beverage giant banking on its marketing muscle to drive sales and grow its customer base in the uber-competitive sparkling water market.

Dive Insight:

The launch of "Can I Get an Aha?" is a big step for Coca-Cola's first new major brand in over a decade. Debuting on shelves in March 2020, Aha spent its inaugural year buffeted by the economic fallout of COVID-19, yet was still able to finish 2020 with an 8.3% share of the unsweetened flavored sparkling water category, according to the press release. Now, having launched the drink's first campaign, Coca-Cola is eyeing further growth in 2021.

By tapping comedic actors Lauren Lapkus and Colton Dunn, Coca-Cola is building Aha's brand identity. The beverage giant hopes to draw an association between the joyful, vibrant personalities displayed by the actors in the commercials and the bold taste of its sparkling water. A main theme of the ads is the actors' tendencies to infuse the word "Aha" into nearly every phrase, propelling their conversations to unexpected places and driving home the idea that its product can enliven everyday moments.

The launch of "Can I Get an Aha?" comes at a pivotal time for the sparkling water industry. Sales of flavored sparkling water increased 24% between January 2020 and January 2021, per a Nielsen study cited by Coca-Cola, and the overall industry is expected to experience annual growth of 12.6% through 2028, according to Grand View Research. While competitors like private label brands, Sparkling Ice and La Croix maintain considerably more market power than nascent Aha, Coca-Cola has an opportunity to leverage its advertising muscle to grow the drink's audience.

At the same time that Coca-Cola is promoting Aha, it is also undergoing a full-scale agency review to assess its planning and buying strategies going forward. The audit comes as Coca-Cola looks to rebound from a decline in earnings experienced in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. So far in 2021, the company has launched several multichannel campaigns, including a cutting-edge video tech ad for March Madness and a tie-up with Tyler, the Creator.