“A festival like Bonnaroo that’s so iconic and features such a great lineup is great synergy for where we see our brand. Music is universal. It brings together people from all walks of life. Hydration is universal, too. So we thought it was an amazing opportunity to reach a diverse audience. Festivals really are the ultimate dehydration occasion, and they capture all of the brand’s usage occasions.”
–Brittany Shaw, Senior Brand Director, Liquid I.V.
Between travel, heat, dancing and imbibing, dehydration is a very real challenge for music festivalgoers. So with a product that addresses each of those needs, electrolyte drink mix brand Liquid I.V. headed to Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, June 15-18 in Manchester, TN, with an “In the Mix” activation that supported its summer-long Real Hydrating campaign. With its sights set on boosting brand education and inspiring user-generated content, the company invited attendees to sample its products and create their personal “mixtapes” while they fueled up.
Seeds were planted for the In the Mix activation, which also made its way to Rolling Loud in Miami and Outside Lands in San Francisco this summer, beginning in mid-May when Liquid I.V. teamed up with dj duo, and Bonnaroo performers, Sofi Tukker. The artists used three of the brand’s Hydration Multiplier flavors—Passion Fruit, Lemon Lime and Strawberry—and their own songs, to curate product-inspired playlists, then shared them on Spotify.
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Over three days, Liquid I.V. distributed 47,000 samples.
On-site at Bonnaroo, those playlists were incorporated into a Remix Station within Liquid I.V.’s royal blue- and aqua-infused footprint. Inside the station, which replicated a real recording booth, attendees answered playful questions that determined their personality type and festival-going vibe. Based on their answers, a Sofi Tukker track was selected to fit their taste. The song was then used as the backdrop for the participant’s own 10-second remix video, which, of course, could be shared on social.
“A [festival] like Bonnaroo that’s so iconic and features such a great lineup is great synergy for where we see our brand,” says Brittany Shaw, senior brand director at Liquid I.V. “Music is universal. It brings together people from all walks of life. Hydration is universal, too. So we thought it was an amazing opportunity to reach a diverse audience. Festivals really are the ultimate dehydration occasion, and they capture all of the brand’s usage occasions.”
Beyond the Remix Station, the activation featured a team of brand ambassadors that gave festivalgoers the lay of the land and educated them on how Liquid I.V. is designed for everyday people, rather than elite athletes. They also spoke to the brand’s range of offerings, answered questions and distributed wet and dry samples of the Hydration Multiplier, the brand’s hero product. Ultimately, 47,000 samples were dished out in a matter of three days.
Liquid I.V. is banking on, and investing in, music festivals to generate trial and awareness of its electrolyte drink mixes.
“Festival pop-ups are something that we’re continuing to scale for the brand,” says Shaw. “We did our first test with Coachella and Stagecoach last year and saw such amazing success, so we wanted to double down this year and expand on the program. Our strategy is to continue to create immersive brand experiences at festivals and then explore new avenues, as well… It’s such a great way to meet consumers where they already are and a great opportunity to cement the equity of the brand and culture, and highlight the functional benefits of our product. It’s about building brand equity and building brand love.”
Photo credit: Taylor Regulski
