The Super Bowl's premium bottled water match-up is now officially set -- pitting "earth's finest water" against "thirst inspiration."
Those are the respective taglines for Wonderful Company's Fiji brand and PepsiCo's new Lifewtr, which released its 30-second ad on Tuesday night. The spot, by Hustle Chicago, which is part of R/GA, is called "Inspiration Drops" and features a version of John Legend's song "Love Me Now." Fiji confirmed last week that it would run a 15-second spot during the third quarter. The ad, called "Nature's Gift," began airing last year and describes the product as "earth's finest water."
Both brands are playing catchup to Coca-Cola's Smartwater, which controls 45% of the U.S. premium bottled water market by volume, according to estimates provided late last year by Beverage Digest. But with the bottled water category surging, there appears to be room for multiple brands to grow.
The Lifewtr Super Bowl spot -- which will air during the first half -- was directed by Robert Stromberg. It shows how a city is transformed by a storm that turns everything the rain touches into art. The artsy theme is a big part of the marketing push for the new brand, whose packaging features rotating designs created by emerging artists.