SodaStream International Ltd., the world’s No. 1 sparkling water brand, announced Monday that it was the brand behind NanoDrop, an April Fools’ Day marketing campaign featuring Paris Hilton. The campaign brings attention to the environmental scourge our planet faces due to pollution from single use plastic water bottles.
The SodaStream NanoDrop campaign features a humorous video with Paris Hilton debuting the latest invention from her very own “Paris Hilton Institute of Plastic Pollution Solutions (PHIPPS)”: NanoDrop, “A highly condensed sparkling water.”
In the video, Hilton describes how witnessing the harmful effects of plastic pollution has driven her to use her influence to take action. Hilton and her team of PHIPPS scientists created a revolutionary new water product – 5,000 times more hydrating than regular water. Hilton points out that only one drop of NanoDrop is necessary to maintain a healthy level of hydration, whilst cutting out the need to carry heavy plastic bottles that pollute our planet. As each drop is equal to one glass of water, regular use of the product should save up to 1,500 plastic bottles per person every year.
A follow up “reveal” video to the initial prank, on the official NanoDrop website, furthers the narrative and explains that a “slight” error in calculation has caused some hydration problems. Hilton explains that, in fact, SodaStream is a great way to achieve healthy hydration without harmful plastic bottle pollution and the inconvenience of lugging heavy bottles of water.
Hilton was chosen by SodaStream as the perfect ambassador for the campaign. A SodaStream enthusiast herself, Hilton stated, “I loved working on this campaign as it delivers a really important message in a funny way that empowers everyone to make better choices and promotes a healthier and sustainable way of life.” She continued, “I’m always open to new ways to stay healthy and hydrated, but while it’s clear that getting our daily water intake is important, carrying home plastic bottles in the process is unnecessary when we have a great alternative in SodaStream.”
The campaign was produced by creative agency Allenby Concept House and the videos were directed by Ohav Flantz. To create a sense of credibility around the April Fool’s prank prior to the reveal, a NanoDrop website and Facebook page were launched in the days leading up to April Fools’ Day. The platforms featured information on the fictional company and details on the soon-to-be-revealed product, hiding the SodaStream connection. To add credentials to the fantasy product, Professor Ron Naaman from the Weizmann Institute of Science and an expert in the field of Molecular Electronics showed his support of NanoDrop. Endorsing the research and the revolutionary product, Professor Naaman stated that it “may represent an important advanced leap in the field of Nano technology.”
“Using fresh tap water and a SodaStream sparkling water maker to stay hydrated is an easy and economical solution for consumers – one that doesn’t involve lugging bottles home or polluting the planet,” said Matti Yahav, VP Global Marketing, SodaStream International. “We brought Paris Hilton and an edgy campaign to help us draw attention to the issue in a way that is fun and entertaining. Millions of consumers are using SodaStream worldwide and we hope millions more will join us in saving our planet from plastic bottles.”