Step Into the Weird World of Sparkling Ice in the Brand's First Major Campaign

For a brand to break out in the beverage category these days, going head to head with competitors like Coca-Cola and Pepsi can be quite a challenge. For Sparkling Ice, a beverage brand without any major marketing campaigns under its belt, the best way to make a statement was to be bold and unexpected. Since 2010 the brand has seen its sales grow by 6,000 percent, according to the Kevin Klock, president and CEO of the brand's parent company, Talking Rain Beverage Co. "For the next level of growth we really needed to go from being something that a consumer picked up in the store to something that they had on their shopping list," Klock said of the new campaign. To find that next level, Sparkling Ice teamed up with Seattle-based agency Wexley School For Girls and comedy director Baker Smith to create the "Be Not Bland" campaign, which includes three spots that will air nationally. The idea was to capture average families doing normal things like eating dinner together but adding an unexpected twist. For one spot in the campaign that meant shooting a family eating dinner upside down. [kickout id="2"] For the upside down spot, the team built a contraption that turned the family of four upside down, which of course came with all sorts of challenges. For instance, the actors could only be inverted for about a minute and a half to avoid having anyone lose consciousness. (Luckily, no one did.) "This is a fun beverage; it’s not to be taken too seriously," said Ian Cohen, co-founder and executive creative director at Wexley School For Girls. "It’s not this super serious topic, and nowadays, it might not be a bad thing for there to be some fun out there." The next spot that has rolled out echoes the first. It feature a family in typical situations, but with an odd twist. A teenager sneaking into the house after his curfew is greeted by unhappy parents and the family dog, but their scolding doesn't have the same tone. [kickout id="1"] "The name [Sparkling Ice] isn’t really well known so we wanted to get the name out there," Cohen said. "All the commercials are intended to have you hear their name and have some fun and to 'Be Not Bland.'" Outside of the three TV spots, the brand will also put out print and digital components for the "Be Not Bland" campaign as well as some on-the-ground efforts in stores including "scented displays." CREDITS AGENCY: Wexley School For Girls EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CO-FOUNDER:Ian Cohen CEO, CO-FOUNDER: Cal McAllister EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Matt Peterson PARTNER, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION: Gabe Hajiani PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR: Dee Dee Jones CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Patrick Mullins WRITER: Teddy Solberg ART DIRECTOR: Evan Bross SENIOR PRODUCER: Maddy Giordano GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Jordan Karr ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Casey Casanova ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Annie Richards PROJECT MANAGER: Amy Lower PARTNER, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & STRATEGY: Christine Wise ASSOCIATE PLANNING DIRECTOR: Cassidy Wilber ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY DIRECTOR: Keir Moreano CLIENT: Sparkling Ice CEO: Kevin Klock CMO: Brian Kuz BRAND MARKETING DIRECTOR: Denise Jaeschke SENIOR BRAND MANAGER: Tara Rahman SENIOR ASSOCIATE BRAND MANAGER: Drew Simons Production Co: Harvest Films Director: Baker Smith Executive Producer: Bonnie Goldfarb Head of Production: Niko Whelan Producer: Ron Mohrhoff Production Supervisor: Brienna Price Assistant Production Supervisor: Adam Richards 1st Assistant Director: Brad Stevenson DP: Curtis Wehr Gaffer:Albie Fitch Key Grip: Sean Crowell Production Designer: Charles Infante Art Director: David King Propmaster: Adam Jette Set Decorator: Simona Ennas Sound Mixer: Rob Newell Costume Designer: Robert Behar Key Makeup: Gunn Espergard Editorial Co: Abound Media Editor:Morgan Griswold Animator: James Nielson VFX & Color: Lightpress Compositing & Effects: Shane Dillon Color Grading: Jeff Tillotson Audio Co: Pure Audio Sound Designer/Mixer: Scott Weiss Talent: Happy Good Dance: Alexis Staropoli, Andre Hotchko, Rebecca Mansueto, Tony Elliot Helium: Dejean Brown, Eli Baxter, Kaycee Campbell Upside Down: Ethan Flower, Johnny Meyer, Kaila Kawasaki, Rebecca Lumianski