Brita has worked hard to establish its environmental benefits in recent years, so it is letting those go unsaid so it can more directly play up its taste appeal and spur interest among younger demos.

The brand’s “Taste Over Everything” campaign, as the name suggests, prioritizes the flavour of filtered water. The approach is informed by company insights that only 40% of younger consumers believe tap water tastes good, creating an opportunity to convince them to switch it up.

“Sustainability is still a part of our brand DNA, and still a key benefit that consumers identify with the brand, but we knew that we had to shift our positioning and showcase the filter in a refreshing, new way that really highlights taste,” says Chris Budinszky, VP of marketing for Clorox Canada. “The shift to taste reminds them of our relevance beyond just being good for the planet.”

Brita’s core business objective is to drive growth through increased household penetration, which the brand admits has remained flat at 20% for several years, despite the importance of drinking water and health-related trends.

Brita has pivoted its strategy to focus more on its filter, which has always been overshadowed visually by its pitchers. The idea is that Brita water tastes great because the filter restores it to a natural, pure, healthy state through natural filtering processes, “filter fresh taste” positioning in the ad.

Brita’s target demo also believes good water is always in motion and has energy, and this message is being communicated visually communicated through its new logo’s ripple design.

Budinszky tells strategy that timing wise, people are still thinking about their new year’s resolutions and goals, including their health. “We want to be top of mind for consumers who are thinking about increasing their water consumption,” he says. Other key seasonal periods for us are summer, back-to-school, and the holidays.

Dentsu Creative made the ad. The agency has a decade-long relationship with Brita in the U.S., creating an opportunity to work with its local office on a Canada-specific ad, Budinszky explains.

“Brita is a brand with incredible growth potential within the Clorox portfolio of brands, which is why we have invested more heavily in our working advertising dollars this fiscal year,” Budinszky says. This is the first year it has invested in digital and social advertising for the brand, which he believes will be important for Brita to reach its millennial and Gen Z target audience.

The media buy includes digital display, social and TV integration tactics, including sponsoring of Big Brother Canada. Media Experts and OMD jointly handled the buy.