I don’t recall ever, not once, drinking a Perrier. I haven’t even thought about Perrier in years. But today’s New York Times reports a new ad campaign is trying to change consumers’ perceptions.
The humorous campaign, getting under way this week, transforms the name of Perrier, the French sparkling water, into words that end in “-ier.” The reworked brand names, appearing on bottle labels, postcards, stickers, swizzle sticks, umbrellas and coasters, include “Luckier,” “Sassier,” “Crazier,” “Scarier,” “Prettier” and “Riskier.” (There are no audio elements, and thus no confusion over whether to pronounce it “RISK-ee-ur,” or “risk-ee-AY.”)
“We always want to keep the brand fresh and contemporary,” said Bob Davino, vice president for marketing at Perrier’s parent, Nestlé Waters North America in Greenwich, Conn., part of Nestlé.
“The brand is still instantly recognizable through the bottle shape and the way the label looks,” Mr. Davino said, “but we want our younger target who doesn’t have much of a history with the brand to discover it on their terms.”
The soundness of the strategy is endorsed in part by some brand-marketing experts.
“This is extraordinarily daring,” said Robert Passikoff, president at Brand Keys, a brand and customer loyalty research company in New York, “but if there was ever a time to be daring, this is it.”
I think I’ll stick to snorting some Perri-Air.
