Media Coverage

October 26th, 2016

Campaign US – PUR conveys that there really must be something in the water

Campaign US – PUR conveys that there really must be something in the water

Author

Miriam Tremelling

Campaign US

Viewers of all ages found Arnold’s campaign highly informative, attention-grabbing and relevant.

Water safety concerns came to the forefront of national attention about a year ago, with the crisis in Flint, Michigan. Despite the press and numerous studies published on contaminants in the water supplies of many states, consumers showing up at PUR’s Water Bar seem surprisingly ignorant to the idea that mercury, chloroform and lead may be found in “acceptable limits” in their tap water. The new integrated campaign “Water Should Be Pure” from the water purification company does a fantastic job in delivering that message. Developed with Arnold Worldwide, the campaign includes online video, national TV spots, a dedicated website and social media content.

“The Water Bar” videos depict patrons of the Water Bar in New York City tasting samples of tap water from around the country. In “The Water Bar Full Length,” the “bartender” describes their offering as “pipe to table,” making a playful riff on the “farm to table” food trend. He also nonchalantly informs them that the contaminants in each sample are within the legal limits. Hidden cameras capture the priceless reactions of customers upon learning what’s in each sample.

We tested the 1:45 full-length version, along with the :15 and :30 versions, with all three outperforming all previous PUR ads going back to 2010. The spots were well-received among all genders, ages and income levels, and the two longer ads outperformed all other home water filtration creative to date. We see in the Ad Personality below that the relative strengths of the ad are well-distributed among the key dimensions. Viewers found the ad highly informative, attention-grabbing and relevant. Not to mention, it also drove desire, which is an indicator of purchase intent.

“The Water Bar Full Length” Ad Personality

Ace-Metrix The Water Bar Full Length Ad Personality

The message of this ad clearly resonated with viewers, as seen by an impressive 58% naming it the single best thing about the ad. The next closest creative devices chosen as best things were the visual scenes (12%) and the brand (9%). Of the message, appreciative viewers remarked:
  • “I thought that it was very informative and unique in the way that they were presenting their message. I felt that because of the message, I would be inclined to buy whatever product they had.” (M21-35)

  • “I had heard about acceptable limits to pollutants in city water, but it didn’t really hit me until I saw this ad just how much our faucet water might contain.” (F21-35)

  • “I knew NJ water was bad, but I didn’t know it was like that all over the country. Thank goodness for PUR.” (F36-49)

PUR also does a fantastic job elevating brand perception, while driving home this very important message. On our panel of approximately 500 viewers, 63% identified themselves as brand considerers (“I have never purchased or used this brand but may consider it in the future”). The word cloud below is derived from comments made by this group.

Ace-Metrix-PUR conveys that there really must be something in the water

  • “When I heard what was all allowed in the water samples you collected. It made me sad and sick feeling. I like the idea of my water being clear. I am going to look into PUR.  (F50+)

  • “This was a very effective ad to introduce different bad things that are in the water. I want to get the filter now.” (M21-35)

  • “I’m shocked! I had no idea that ‘acceptable levels’ meant that there are very harmful things in our drinking water!” (F50+)

  • “I think it’s a good ad. We have horrible water where I live and will look into this. Thanks.” (M36-49)

Another great sign for PUR and its agency, the ad demonstrates strong viral capacity. Over 80% of viewers answered “very likely” or “maybe” when asked how likely they are to share this ad after viewing it online.

Truly an eye-opener for many, PUR’s new campaign should continue to raise awareness about this all-important issue. As for me, I’m heading over to KnowYourWater.com right now to find out what’s in my tap water.

Read more at Campaign US.

AD TITLE

{{ title }}

BRAND

CATEGORY

{{ category }}

AIR DATE

{{ date }}

ACE SCORE

{{ rank }}

Scroll To Top