Plants, insects, trees, fishes, mushrooms, seeds, people.
The essential value of water cannot be overstated with every living creature on our blue planet is endorsing its enduring qualities for survival.
With more than 70% of our planet is composed of this precious liquid and recurring rain, flood and storms, it seems that we’re finding it more difficult to avoid it than seek it.
So if we are surrounded by water and with enough to go around — why is it that in an age of energy drinks and soda, patrons are paying good money for something that is not only naturally free, but also short-handed when it comes to nutritional benefits?
LIFEWTR
The titanic soda company PepsiCo spent millions for a TV-Spot in the 2017 Super Bowl to announce their premium bottled water brand.
Since it’s recent release, it has spurred the question of how the market for premium and designer bottled water is on the rise. So much so that it’s breaching soda sales without a sign of it subsiding.
With soda companies arguably building their businesses on quicksand when relying on products that are detrimental but enjoyable — all it took for water was to make up for their lack of nutritional properties by decorating their product.
Sure you could talk about the mineral content, taste of electrolytes and the levels of purification, but there’s only so much antioxidants and vitamins can do for water when it comes to beneficial properties. So when science falls short brands look to the stars.
SMARTWATER
Actress Jennifer Aniston has invested and been the face of SmartWater since 2007.
With Beyoncé investing in WTRMLN WTR and Curtis ‘50cent’ Jackson fronting Vitamin Water, their influence certainly heightens the apparent benefits of antioxidants and pH balances past H20’s transparent qualities.
LIFEWTR is no stranger to star power either, With their minute-long announcement directed by a two-time Academy Award winner and soundtrack composed by John Legend, they certainly intend to be heavy-weight competitors.
But if the famous are not enough to justify the purchase of glamourized essentials, perhaps the question is whether or not the commodity is a status symbol, or simply fundamental.
QINLING FOREST OXYGEN-RICH AIR
As absurd as it sounds, the Local Government in China is selling ‘fresh air’ from nature reserves to combat smog pollution.
While you’re looking for words to describe how ridiculous it would be to buy cans of air, people who are deprived of it are spending money just to breathe. With people describing such as capitalising on pollution — no one is considering the severity of the air in China, or that these are experimental steps in the interest of the people’s well-being.
In an era of consumerism, it’s growing increasingly difficult to gauge the value of items with plain white t-shirts going for $500 and the resale of an actual brick by a brand in the thousands.
Ultimately — if cans of fresh air can be sold for health while concert atmosphere is bagged as merchandise, all that really counts is how interesting you make it. As essential as products may be, they’re still a service in competition.
Whether your wine is made from sacred grapes or your local supermarket, you can’t blame brands for exciting the essentials — life-giving liquid or not.
What product is your brand capitalising on?
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