At a Glance

  • Essentia Water is expanding its "Change the Equation" marketing campaign nationwide. The concept first launched in New York last fall, and according to a press release received by Marketing Dive, the campaign aims to challenge industry conventions in the premium bottled water category.
  • The expansion is anchored by a 90-second brand manifesto film, "Beat the Formula," which shows athletes from different sports making decisions based on instinct rather than established rules at critical moments. Creative content will span traditional and digital out-of-home advertising, streaming, and channels like TikTok, with a focus on New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.
  • Additionally, Essentia has partnered with Son Heung-min, marking the first brand endorsement for the South Korean football star since he joined LAFC in August. Son will appear in a separate 30-second ad and share his training routine and Essentia drinking habits in an interview series.

Deep Dive

Essentia is expanding the reach of its "Change the Equation" campaign during the summer sales season—an important sales window for bottled water brands—and ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off next month. Son Heung-min is the captain of the South Korean men's national team, and duringa busy period in sports marketing, his profile could add extra weight to the partnership.

Elevating "Change the Equation" from a hyper-local advertising strategy to a national stage is positioned as a bigger step in Essentia's brand evolution. The alkaline water brand, which is owned by Nestlé, is trying to disrupt what it sees as a stagnant competitive landscape.

"We're not just expanding our market footprint; we're promoting a brand point of view that challenges the status quo of the premium bottled water category," said Katharine Weiss, marketing director at Essentia, in a statement. "By building a powerful omnichannel ecosystem—from cinematic ads to TikTok content—we can meet high achievers at every touchpoint where they strive, providing the powerful hydration they need to choose risk over compromise this summer and beyond."

The new "Beat the Formula" creative continues thetheme of "rewriting the script" from the original "Change the Equation" adsand blends abstract artistry with athletic performance. Directed by Ryan Chun of Magna Studios, the cinematic ad features elite athletes, including a trail runner, a boxer, and an archer, who act on instinct in high-pressure scenarios rather than following the rules. The ad uses surveillance-style visual overlays to highlight athletes' split-second decisions, accented by the brand's signature red elements.

"You are the problem they didn't anticipate, the key variation in the melody, the outlier beyond prediction," the narrator says over a rhythmic soundtrack. Athletic footage is interspersed with shots of a drummer practicing intensely and sweaty dancers in a nightclub hydrating with Essentia. In contrast, Essentia's partnership with Son Heung-min is more direct, delving into his personal training methods and mindset. Creative agency Droga5 handled the creative work for the campaign.

The initial "Change the Equation" push in New York included online video, out-of-home ads, experiential marketing, influencer collaborations, and a tie-in with the women's track event Athlos. Droga5 executives previously told Marketing Dive that the "grittier" elements of the execution were intended to contrast with water ads that tend to be "bright and airy."