Brief:

• PepsiCo's bottled water brand Lifewtr is asking artists to share their creative works for a chance to win a cash grant and be featured in an online exhibition launched this month. The Black Art Rising online gallery features artworks created in response to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, per an announcement.
• To enter the contest, artists can submit their works for evaluation by posting them to photo-sharing app Instagram with the @Lifewtr handle and the #BlackArtRisingContest hashtag in the caption by Oct. 27. Lifewtr and guest judges including recording artist Tobe Nwigwe will select winners of a $500 stipend from the Black Art Rising Fund. Lifewtr established the fund with $50,000 to support artists.
• Amid this year's protests against racism and police violence, Lifewtr's latest campaign aims to address current social issues and show support for a cause by utilizing Instagram, tactics that are popular with Gen Z.

Insight:

Lifewtr's online contest is designed to appeal to creators while raising awareness for its online gallery that supports Black Lives Matter. As those creators share their artwork on Instagram to enter the competition, Lifewtr can extend the reach of its campaign organically and potentially drive traffic to its Black Art Rising website. The cash grants and chance to be featured in the digital gallery offer incentives to budding artists to participate in the online contest, and communicate Lifewtr's commitment to social causes.

The bottled water brand has made support for artists an ongoing theme in its advertising campaigns, including those for mobile users. Last year, Lifewtr launched an arts education campaign called "Unconventional Canvas" as part of its ongoing design series to support emerging artists and make art accessible to more people, according to an announcement. Two years ago, the bottled water brand collaborated with hotel chain Marriott on its #UnlockingInspiration campaign that let people decorate their hotel rooms with virtual artwork. By scanning specially marked bottles of Lifewtr with Facebook's camera feature, Marriott's guests could unlock augmented reality (AR) art displays from 18 artists whose work had been featured on the brand's packaging.

Amid this year's protests against racism and police violence, Lifewtr's latest campaign aims to address current social issues and show support for a related cause. The effort is likely to appeal to younger consumers who tend to identify with brands that support causes that they care about, such as climate change, human rights, poverty and equality. Ninety percent of Generation Z supports the Black Lives Matter movement, while 78% have used social media to show support for equality, a study by researcher YPulse found this year. To remain relevant with consumers who are more aware of racial equality, brands must re-evaluate their strategies on how to appropriately respond, according to a report by Forrester Research.

Lifewtr is the latest brand to run a contest on Instagram to engage younger consumers with its branding. Shipt, the delivery service owned by Target, in August started its first dance challenge on Instagram, giving back-to-school shoppers a chance to win a membership and groceries for a year. Fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 partnered with convenience chain 7-Eleven on a multichannel campaign that included a dance challenge on Instagram and social video app TikTok. Trident gum and Ferrara Group's Sweetarts candy also ran contests on Instagram to reach homebound consumers during the pandemic.