Jered Weaver, Kate Upton to Star in New SoBe Ad Campaign

SoBe is launching its first trademark campaign in more than a decade this week. And after bypassing creative shops for last year's marketing efforts, the brand has changed tack. The "Try Everything" campaign will mark the first work from Anomaly , which was added to the brand's roster late last year without a review. Andrew Katz, who became senior director-marketing at SoBe last August, said that Anomaly was brought in because the brand was looking for "new sources of thinking and ideas." The shop isn't designating an agency of record, though Mr. Katz said he's optimistic the campaign will be successful and the relationship will continue. He also said the model he inherited from his predecessor, Angelique Krembs, is intact. A year ago, Ms. Krembs touted an approach that left out creative agencies in favor of a "workshop" format among its digital, public relations and promotion agencies. That structure led to two TV spots that were created from material shot during a print-ad shoot. "We're not tied to the old methods," Ms. Krembs said at the time. "There's so much role-stretching happening." Mr. Katz said the "Try Everything" campaign was approached in much the same way, with SoBe's agencies working collaboratively. "The agencies were all briefed at the same time," Mr. Katz said. "One wasn't leading, they were all working together to come back with the most compelling approach." The resulting campaign will be the brand's first trademark effort since being acquired by PepsiCo in 2000. "Try Everything" will also serve as the first all-encompassing tagline for the brand, which includes flavored waters, teas and "elixirs," in some time. Recent efforts like "Zero Calories. Zero Inhibitions" have focused on specific products rather than the trademark. Mr. Katz said spending will exceed last year and will be on par with the brand's 2008 relaunch. In 2008, SoBe spent $27 million on measured media, according to Kantar, while it's spent only $16 million in 2009 and $10 million in 2010. "There's a real commitment to the SoBe brand at PepsiCo," said Mr. Katz. "There hadn't been a unifying campaign approach. But this year, we've gotten the business to a place where it makes sense to take a trademark approach." SoBe Lifewater, which will be promoted in TV spots, saw its share of the enhanced and flavored water market grow from a 5.9 share in 2008 to a 13.9 share in 2010, according to Beverage Digest. Volume grew 68% and 31% in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The brand's tea segment, however, lost momentum in recent years, falling from a 1-point share of the tea segment to a 0.6 share. Mr. Katz said two new tea flavors are being introduced next month and will be promoted in radio buys. Out of home and digital efforts will touch on all of the trademark's products. Anomaly , Firstborn, Motive and Weber Shandwick worked on the campaign. The first TV spot, breaking tomorrow, will feature Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels pitching Fuji apples, in a nod to the brand's Fuji Apple Pear flavor. A spot featuring model Kate Upton, who appeared in this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, is also on tap. Mr. Katz said the campaign is meant to "celebrate [the] flavors in a quirky and unexpected way, while getting celebrities to try things that are somewhat uncharacteristic of them."

Jered Weaver, Kate Upton to Star in New SoBe Ad Campaign

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