Nestle, Crayola team to bring kids' water bottle designs to life

Dive Brief:

Nestle and Crayola have partnered on spring 2017's Share-a-Smile campaign around the launch of a collection of kid-friendly, 8-ounce Nestle Pure Life water bottles that showcase labels designed by kids, the brands said in a press release. The labels will be chosen from a contest running from March 1 to April 30 and the packaging will include two grand prize-winning designs, along with some runner-ups.
The full Share-a-Smile campaign combines traditional and digital channels including: free-standing newspaper inserts with product coupons; in-store displays; digital media and website content; an influencer campaign with bloggers and vloggers; social media content on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube; a coloring/activity book for download and a national tour that will hit more than 15 community festivals and retail locations.
The partnership allows Nestle to use Crayola logos in promotional material, feature Crayola products at the tour stops and create cross-merchandising, in-store opportunities. Prizes include a sweepstake to win a trip for four to the Crayola Experience along with a $25,000 scholarship.

Dive Insight:

The Share-a-Smile product line, launched in summer 2015, is quickly becoming a strong annual tradition for the Nestle brand, as last year's campaign received almost 2,000 contest entries, the release said. This year's effort seeks to build on that success and smartly leverages a variety of channels to maximize reach.

Beyond raising brand awareness for Crayola and Nestle, the effort provides a fun activity the entire family can engage with, encouraging kids to show off their creative side. Share-a-Smile ultimately indicates how national promotions around consumer goods are changing in the digital age.

While newspaper inserts, in-store displays and coupons have been a staple of these types of campaigns for years, the comprehensive push on social media, both with influencers and on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, shows how kids' and parents' attentions are migrating more than ever toward digital screens.

The effort also provides Nestle with some original art, as the brand will keep the designs on its Pure Life bottles year-round, and will also include special packaging around Halloween and the winter holidays.