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writing=good, marketing=inspired, product=needless consumption

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So, there’s a new product on the playground, and while I’m morally opposed to it (more on that later), I have to hand it to the Creatives. The marketing is smart and the writing is great – it more than makes the case. The whole site is in flash, quite fun and worth checking out.

Here’s the deal. It’s called Y water, and it’s a kids nutritional ‘water’ drink. The four flavors are: Brain Water, Bone Water, Immune Water and Muscle Water – and they ‘are’ organic, nutrient-rich and low-calorie. Each drink contains vitamins and minerals that support the brain, bones, etc. And the descriptions are clever, short and full of information with an option to click for more detailed, scientifically supported articles. There are also some fun, playful captions and cartoons editorializing on each flavor.

Does anyone remember when Baskin Robbins dished out their ice cream in baseball caps and football helmets? The crowning achievement of these kid drinks is that they don’t come in useless plastic bottles. The containers are shaped like ‘Y’s and with the help of ‘knots’ you can stick the bottles together and build things. How fun – kids will beg for more and more so that they can build more and more. Now that is intelligent marketing! The site states that this prevents waste which is even better than recycling – and this is true. ‘The bottles are 100% recyclable and 100% reusable as a creative developmental aid.’ This is compelling to be sure. The bottles were designed by Yves Behar, by the way.

 The writers have cleverly called out their celebrity ingredients, calling them ‘functional’ and you can click on nutritional information where you receive a pop-up of that standard black, gridded box…but they don’t give the other, sorry, ‘non-functional’ ingredients. And here comes my moral opposition: organic natural foods do not come naturally in these colors and healthy water or real fruit juices don’t have added sweeteners. Here’s an idea: keep the world’s water clean and eat local, organically farmed foods! Then we won’t need band-aids like Y Water. I know, I know, I’m brilliant. The think-tanks are tripping over themselves trying to get to me.

 Okay, go check it out and tell me what you think – feel free to give me your writing/marketing perspective, your moral rant slant, or both. www.ywater.us

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