Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is used to making headlines for his off-the-court antics, from his emo-inspired media day look to his stint as a ball boy at the U.S. Open to his pandemic-era coffee hustle. So when photos of the NBA All-Star riding a horse through Miami went viral last month, fans assumed it was just another example of "Jimmy being Jimmy."

In actuality, the stunt was part of a new campaign from Nestlé marketer Essentia Water around the launch of its first-ever flavored, functional water, Hydroboost. The social-first "Hold my Hydroboost" effort launched in April across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, over-the-top, online and creator channels.

A long-form video spot features Butler, dressed in what can be described as "cowboy casual," riding a horse through the streets of Miami before challenging a group of streetballers to a game of H.O.R.S.E. The pro and the amateurs trade shots — "one hand, nothing but net," "off the glass" — until playing for the last letter. After a player hits a dunk, Butler takes one more sip of Hydroboost before flying through the air on his horse to win the game and leave a memorable impression.

“Jimmy does not shy away from bold ideas and jumping all the way in, so when you have a partner that meets you in that creative space, that's when I think the magic happens,” said Ashley Keller, director of digital marketing at Essentia Water.

Insights before launch

Founded in 1998, Essentia was the first ionized alkaline bottled water offered in the U.S. and has had a consistent presence on retail shelves as the enhanced water market — predicted to be valued at more than $11 billion by 2027 — has seen a proliferation of entrants and marketing activity.

Essentia has embraced its identity as a market leader and disruptor, which it is continuing to do with the launch of Hydroboost, a flavored but functional water that has 30-times more electrolytes than the leading premium still water, according to the brand's research. The product is also in line with consumer insights around innovation in the category. Active consumers are increasingly craving low-to-no-sugar, better-for-you options without artificial flavors, colors and dyes, and they're not willing to trade-down on taste, Keller explained.

“We understand not everyone plays sports or engages in physically intense activities, but people do lead very active and purposeful lives. They want an enhanced water that can help them stay on top of their game,” the exec said. “All of this was rooted in the Essentia brand purpose to serve as replenishment and hydration as people over-achieve their aspirations, whatever those may be.”

To communicate this brand purpose and Hydroboost's value proposition, Essentia tapped Droga5, which keyed in on research that found that 75% of people exist in a chronically dehydrated state, setting themselves and their bodies up for failure. From there, it turned the memetic phrase "hold my beer" — with its connotation around meeting challenges with outrageous confidence — and turned it into "Hold my Hydroboost."

“When you're launching a new product, getting the product name out there in a really repeatable, unmissable way [is key],” said Tom McQueen, executive creative director at Droga5.

To showcase the product, Essentia and Droga5 opted to lean into inspiration, aspiration and achievement in a fun, lighthearted way by tapping into a roster of "overachiever" brand ambassadors that includes singer Tate McRae. Butler, who joined the brand in 2022, presented the perfect marriage of ambassador and consumer insights.

“We need to stay authentic to the celebrities and what people are expecting from them, otherwise, they're gonna see right through it,” said Julia Agger, communications strategy director at Droga5. “The social space is extremely crowded, and it's really hard to break through and actually be relevant to the audience and the celebrity themselves.”

Back on the horse

Droga5 found a way to break through the noise with H.O.R.S.E. on a horse — a simple idea that the team was surprised had not been used before by another brand, and one that didn't require the over-complication of "putting a hat on a hat," McQueen explained.

"The visual of Jimmy on the horse alone, people go, 'oh, my god, what is this?' and that just takes off," McQueen said. "People just gravitate to this stuff... it naturally garners conversation and helps pull people into the story we're about to tell."

Instead, the campaign is as straightforward as the premise allows: capturing the horse as a fish out of water against the beautiful backdrop of Miami, catching the cowboy wave just as Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" was released and soundtracking the ad with music (the Silo and Martin Wave remix of Yma Sumac's "Jungla”) that modernizes an exotica song with Latin vibes and Western cues.

By letting “Jimmy be Jimmy,” Essentia and Droga5 were able to utilize Butler's bombastic personality and gift for entertaining, whether reading scripted lines or riffing on the spot (“You're letting a man on a quadruped defeat you” is funny whether he came up with it or not). Plus, his reputation allowed the brand to organically earn media that is “worth its weight in gold,” Keller said.

“Paid media can come and go,” the exec said. “It can have different levels of impact or efficacy. It allows you to tell short stories to folks but ultimately brand affinity … that's where earned and organic [media] plays a critically important role.”

In a crowded and competitive hydration category, consumers have plenty of beverages to choose from. Essentia is banking that by providing entertainment, laughter and a moment of levity, consumers will reach for its brand, even if, as McQueen noted, "It may not be the most outrageous thing that happened in Miami that day."