NBA superstar Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat stars in this campaign from Droga5 NY introducing consumers to Essentia Hydroboost, an enhanced water which carries 30x the electrolytes compared to premium waters, without the artificial ingredients of sports drinks. The social campaign features Butler as he saddles up to show what supercharged hydration can do in a super-epic game of H.O.R.S.E. on a Horse.
Directed by Zach Math via production house Caviar, this film–”H.O.R.S.E on a Horse”–playfully unleashes Jimmy’s bombastic self as he pulls up to a local pickup court on horseback, proceeds to throw down the challenge and quite literally puts the ‘buck’ into “Jimmy Buckets.”
The memorable game of H.O.R.S.E. is part of a social and influencer-focused “Hold My Hydroboost” campaign that uses celebrity channels to drive mass awareness, #HoldMyHydroboost is amplified by Essentia’s first-ever creator program —partnering with other superstars, notable celebrities and over 30 TikTok creators with a variety of voices. From singer-songwriter and dance superstar Tate McRae putting a supercharged spin on a #GRWM ahead of her upcoming Think Later world tour to teen actor turned athlete Javon “Wanna” Walton out to prove he belongs in boxing after his professional boxing debut ended in a draw. Select TikTok creators in sport, music, fitness, art, gaming and fashion have created their own #HoldMyHydroboost moments and even unboxing videos of specially designed Hydroboost kits to spark conversation around chasing everyday ambitions. Each touchpoint is designed to drive awareness, encourage people to show up and show off, and create a ripple effect in hard to miss social spaces and verticals.
“Hydration is in the collective consciousness in a big way. Drinking water is suddenly synonymous with not only good health, but almost success in general life,” said Tom McQueen, executive creative director, Droga5. “People talk about water like it’s a magical elixir. Which is silly, it’s not—but Essentia Hydroboost is. That’s the beauty of “Hold My Hydroboost.” It’s a celebrity-studded social and influencer campaign that allows us to exaggerate the benefits of supercharged hydration in really entertaining, unexpected and surprising ways – be it a supercharged game of H.O.R.S.E on a horse, or supercharged take on a #GRWM for the world.”
“The water category is pretty saturated (pun intended) so doing something that stands out and steals some attention was an absolute must,” said Rob McQueen, creative director, Droga5. “Sometimes we forget that this can be fun and when we get the chance to launch something into the world with some fun built into it for everyone to enjoy, it’s even better. And despite the internet loving this… We did not need an algorithm or tons of data to know Jimmy Butler playing H.O.R.S.E. on an actual horse was going to be something people would like to watch.”
CreditsClient Essentia Agency Droga5 NY Scott Bell, chief creative officer; Tom McQueen, George McQueen, executive creative directors; Nicholas Bauman, Rob McQueen, creative directors; Ben Muckensturm, Gonzalo Navarro, sr. art directors; Sara Muchnick, Sean Buckhorn, sr. copywriters; Cherise Woo, art director; Brendan Dimech, copywriter; Lia Sifilgoji, design director; Samantha Lee, Viktoria Burak, designers; Ruben Mercadal, Jenn Mann, co-heads of production; Dave Stephenson, executive producer, film; Sam Morgan, sr. producer, film; Alisha Bhowmik, associate producer, film; Mike Ladman, sr. music supervisor; Mara Techam, jr. music supervisor; Andrew Quay, gropu strategy director. Production Company Caviar Zach Math, director; John Matysiak, DP; Josh Morse, exec producer; Brian Etting, producer; Cat Craven-Griffiths, head of production; Denise Blackard, production supervisor. Editorial Cut+Run Paul Watts, editor; Eli Beck-Gifford, assistant editor; Laura Hertzberg, managing partner; Diana Mendez, sr. producer. Postproduction Parliament Philip Ineno, VFX supervisor; John McIntosh, creative lead; Kat Maidment, Anna Kravtsov, Kamilla Kulieva, producer; John McIntosh, Adam Deutch, Siro Valente, Taner Besen, Jade Kim, Edgar De La Torre, Carl Fong, Jay Lee, Cythia Lee, creative team. Music Yma Sumac, artist; Song: Jungla (SILO x Martin Wave Remix) Sound King Lear Ed Downham, Jack Sedgwick, Ned Sisson, sound designers; Natalie Curran, Leo Clayton, producers. Color Trafik Daniel De Vue, colorist; Sasha Pace, producer; Karena Ajamian, exec producer.
Top Spot of the Week: Director Jake Scott, Paramount Brand Studios “Make Your Gameday Epic” In “Gladiator II”-Inspired Pepsi Spot
Nearly 20 years after Pepsi’s “Roman Empire” made its mark on pop culture, the brand is returning to the arena with a colossal Gladiator-themed campaign titled, “Make Your Gameday Epic™.” Celebrating the start of the 2024 NFL season and the highly anticipated release of Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II in theaters on Nov. 22, this short film--directed by Jake Scott via RSA Films for Paramount Brand Studio features Megan Thee Stallion, as Empress Megan, leading a legion of NFL superstars turned Gridiron Gladiators, including Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce, locked in an epic battle with ice-cold Pepsi at the heart of the action. A brand-new gameday anthem from three-time, Grammy award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion soundtracks the campaign. The unmistakable “boom, boom, clap” from Queen’s epic track “We Will Rock You” is featured on a fresh sample with cutting new lyrics from Megan. The new track became available on all major music streaming platforms, and ahead of Megan hosting the 2024 MTV VMAs last night (9.11), where the track and music-video inspired spot were heard and seen throughout the show. “I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of the legends who appeared in this Gladiator campaign 20 years ago and proud to have carved my own new legacy,” said Megan Thee Stallion. “Pepsi really brought the worlds of music, sports and entertainment together in a powerful way to set off the new NFL season.” The spot opens with Lamorne Morris and Jake Lacy peering into a can of Pepsi Zero Sugar as it transforms into a colosseum. Empress Megan calls the shots, and the royal roster of NFL players are at her command as they all vie for her favor and a sip of an ice-cold Pepsi... Read More