As some children head back to school in the real world, parents have plenty of concerns about their safety. Will children be adequately distanced? Will they keep their masks on, covering their mouth and nose? Will classrooms and bathrooms be sanitized enough? To help quell one possible source of anxiety, Kraft Heinz brand Capri Sun, a staple of kid lunches across the country, is “pranking” the little ones with this campaign, the first major work from with Mischief @ No Fixed Address, the newly-launched agency of veteran creative Greg Hahn.

In the “We’re Sorry It’s Not Juice” campaign, Capri Sun gathers a group of kids to “test out” a new flavor. Each one is presented with the product’s familiar foil package, but without any branding or label to keep what’s inside a secret.  As each kid takes a sip, they’re clearly underwhelmed. 

When the interviewer asks the kids what the new flavor tastes like, they don’t pull any punches. “My mouth,” says one kid. "It tastes like water," says another. “Is this a joke?” gripes one more.

“Do you think kids are gonna like it?” the interviewer adds. “No,” a girl says bluntly. 

The new campaign highlights Capri Sun’s probono effort for kids in the Chicagoland area. The band shifted production in its factory so that it could package filtered water in its pouches and will be donating five million of the H20 packs, labeled “We’re sorry it’s not juice,” to the area’s schools. 

The product idea is meant to ease parents’ concerned about kids’ hydration when many schools will likely keep water fountains off limits due to COVID-19 concerns. 

Mischief looked at communicating idea from two angles: a new way to drink water, or a really boring version of Capri Sun. The latter, Hahn says, spoke to the more human truth. “It sucks for kids that they have to deal with this world,” he says. “It’s very much an act for the parents, to take their minds off one more thing they have to worry about.”

“Back to school is always an anxious time for parents,” added Vikramjeet Singh, VP-marketing, strrategy and development at The Kraft Heinz Company in a statement. “Add to it the stress of sending kids to school after months of being at home, in the middle of a pandemic and that anxiety multiplies. With school fountains closed, how kids get quality water was one of many worries … and we feel it is our responsibility to be of value in this time of need.”

The upside? The prank also shines a light on how much kids really love the “real” Capri Sun.