Discerning Strategic Innovation: Aquafina’s Achievement With the #PadiofLife Campaign

Seven-Up Bottling Company (SBC), makers of Aquafina premium drinking water, launched a new television commercial that stars a host of celebrity figures, as part of their ongoing ‘Padi-of-life’ campaign. The campaign seeks to reinforce Aquafina as Nigeria’s most trusted premium drinking water brand in the market.

To further tell the brand story and reinforce the Padi of LIfe narrative, the brand leveraged celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder for marathon cooking, Hilda Baci and Young Jonn, the talented Nigerian singer and record producer who recently released a raving single titled after the Aquafina brand. Actors, Jemima Osunde, Munachi Abii and Jide Kene and health and wellness influencer Aproko Doctor continue to endorse and champion the Padi-of-life campaign.

Beyond the entertainment value and social media buzz around the Aquafina commercial, its creative approach appears to be signposting a leading edge in the world of television commercials for water brands. The 60-second captivating plot of the TV commercial has further pushed the limits of water advertisement breaking through the clutter.

The sensational visuals and the decision to weave the advertisement around a story of lifelong companionship is probably the reason for the extra impact of this campaign. It plays on the indispensability of friendships, the allure of happy moments, and the basic human desire to regularly quench thirst, in delivering an emotional and innovative television commercial.

The TV commercial also infuses the real-life backstories of the characters in its television commercial. This includes Hilda Baci’s cooking expertise, Young Jonn’s ‘Aquafina’ soundtrack, and Aproko Doctor’s lifestyle recommendation for drinking water regularly, among others. Whether this was a move to create an effective storyline or to create a social-media buzz off the real-life appeals of the characters, the padi-of-life campaign has made its mark.

The Aquafina #PadiofLife commercial has garnered praise for its strategic innovation, skillful use of social media, brand revitalization, and its positive effect on consumers. The early signals from social media users indicate that the advertisement resonates well with the average Nigerian. As we move forward, the campaign’s impact and the significance of its creative ingenuity are likely to flourish even more in the upcoming weeks.