Guru Organic Energy is using its plant-based bona fides to propel its latest campaign forward (or at least the people featured in it).
The “With Plants” campaign shows people getting where they need to be – be it a student on her way to class or a basketball player up to the hoop – with a trail of lush plants, berries and flowers behind them.
The campaign will include a comprehensive mix of OOH, digital and print content, partnerships with influencers, as well as sampling events and activations in major cities nationally. The campaign will also be supported by a large-scale shopper activation program complete with contesting.
Developed with Sid Lee, with which the brand connected last year, the six-week national campaign will kick off at the end of March with the brand’s full line-up of energy drinks and a focus on one of its key differentiators: its entirely plant-based and organic ingredients.
Its timing also coincides with the roll out of its Guayusa Tropical Punch SKU nationally. That comes after a test in Quebec last fall, which saw it move up to the number six energy drink in Quebec’s convenience and gas channel.
According to Carl Goyette, president and CEO of Guru, the positioning represents a fresh take on how natural, plant-based energy can fuel an active lifestyle. He expects that to resonate with health-conscious consumers – the energy drink category is typically perceived as being “artificial” and reliant on chemical ingredients.
Emmanuelle Ouimet, Guru’s EVP of marketing, tells strategy that spring is the big season for energy drink innovations and this constitutes amazing momentum for the brand.
“We are an organic drink…and really pushing into that ‘better for you’ line that is very different from what you see in the market right now,” Ouimet says.
She adds that the brand has adjusted its ad budget accordingly as its distribution has grown. Touché is taking care of the buy side.
Previously, Guru has linked itself to healthy lifestyles by teaming up with Quebec and BC ski resorts.
Last fall, the energy drink also tapped the popularity of a Quebec reality TV show, Occupation Double, to help it build on the momentum of a convenience channel summer shopper campaign aimed at outdoor enthusiasts.
Recent internal data reveals that Guru products’ weighted distribution at over 90% in the convenience and gas channel, and over 50% in the grocery, drug and mass channel in Canada (excluding Quebec).
