Clever little hamsters.

I recently saw this ad on the TV for Drench, the water brand. I thought it was fantastic!

A great example of a brand zagging, when I think of water ads I seem to recall mountains and people running. This completely takes a different approach, as viewers you stay locked in and want to see the whole thing. Brands need to do a lot at the current time to make them stand out, especially in a category such as water where there are so many competitors selling in essence, the same product. Brand personality is very important in this category. Hence the Evian baby ads.

What also occurred to me is that the ad still pushes the brands core goal, to keep people "drenched". You are reminded that staying drenched helps you perform better. Humour is all well and good but you it's all about the sales at the end of the day. In the worlds of David Ogilvy, "I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information." The Drench ad delivers the information and entertains at the same time.

On further investigation, they have seeded some rather humorous clips on YouTube. The clever hamster auditions. Although not as great as the mighty meerkat, they still go a long way in terms of engaging customers with the brand and adding the much needed fun element to staying hydrated. Something that can seem trivial for a lot of people, yours truly included.

A late addition to the post: just read they placed x-factor style ads in the Sun and the Metro for the clever hamster auditions. The tune from the ad will also be released in time for Christmas. Brilliant use of channels.

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