MUD\WTR has been on a remarkable run of growth over the past two years, acquiring over 1,000 customers a day. With the initial product :rise Cacao, we found product-market fit as a coffee-alternative. The next evolution of the brand was to expand our mission from “dethroning coffee” to a larger one of “creating healthy minds through healthy habits.”
We unveiled this expansion in January 2023 with the release of three additional products—a matcha, a turmeric blend and an evening tea. The ad campaign served to highlight the functional benefits for consumers and the role they occupy throughout the day.
This campaign showcased our full offering of consumable products and content, going beyond our initial mission of dethroning coffee to establish the brand and the full extent of our vision. We wanted to reach out with a message that was supportive, insightful and memorable.
We knew that a single shot “oner” would be a very compelling way of showing the true nature of life - we never get to hit the pause button, but can change our choices at any time. In support of this idea, we decided to design the entire production around a single shot, which made for great technical challenges. We spent a lot of time in choreography, did precise pre-vis and measurement of all sets and lighting, and shot with a Trinity steadicam. The 17th take is the one you see in the final anthem film.
The film had to work on three levels at once: physically through movements and staging, emotionally through facial and bodily expression, and intellectually through the narration.
We also wanted the film to work both visually and aurally. If someone was watching on their phone with no volume, they should get what’s going on by the physicality of the performers, the movement of props, the staging, and the environments. If someone was only listening to the narration and music, this should tell the full story as well.
It was very important that the film read as accessible, not as esoteric ‘performance art’ that could turn some people off. Even though there is delightful virtuosity depicted, we didn’t want that ever to pull us away from the story. This story is about every one of us, so we want our characters to be extremely relatable.
We wanted to avoid see-say in favor of all the elements serving to bolster/ heighten each other. The back-up dancers provide punctuation for the main dancer, who provides counterpoint or elevation to the narration, who drives the intellectual story.
Music was composed to take us on a journey. The music, as the script, begins with a questioning tone, moves through problematic anxiety and workday hustle, crescendos to a turning point, and then evolves into a more open, calm, and joyful place, ultimately culminating in a restful resolution.
Lastly, we had to generate 20 unique assets from this single shoot, including specific ads for each of our 4 products, and a library of still campaign photography for OOH, OTT, and digital.
- The three new products successfully launched in the campaign now comprise roughly 15% of MUD\WTR’s overall revenue
- Over 20m direct views to date on the campaign assets
- Adage Magazine featured the campaign to highlight MUD\WTRs place as a leading brand storyteller
- An overall 3.2% engagement rate with our audience, including effusive comments like:
“This is one of the most beautiful commercials I've seen in a long time. Artfulness, and emotional depth. This might be the one to get me to finally try your product. Tears in my eyes...wow!
“It was so inspiring… brings me to tears. It gives me a lot of hope for the future. You guys are setting the bar for what a business could do.”
