Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water is leaning heavily into its position as the lowest-calorie hard seltzer among major brands on the market in a series of new television ads that started airing nationwide this week.
The malt beverage, which has 88 calories, no sugar and low carbohydrates per 12-ounce serving, moved into slim cans earlier this year and unveiled a new variety 12-pack. It’s now gearing up for the summer selling season with a marketing campaign in which it is investing about twice as much as 2017, says Katie Feldman, associate brand manager for Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water.
The campaign also includes digital, social media and out-of-home elements, as well as sampling events at major regional and national chain retailers.
Its new TV spots, which will air on entertainment cable, including on HGTV, Travel Channel, Food Network, Discovery, FX, TBS, Sundance, A&E, USA and Bravo, “open the category to a larger group of drinkers and try to have a bit of fun, a nod to Henry’s true DNA,” Feldman says.
The 15-second ads each feature a man and a woman being lifted into the air after picking up floating cans of Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water. One is set in a pool, the other in a backyard. A voiceover in both spots says: “It’s the light taste of sparkling water, but with alcohol.”
Other ads will display the tagline: “Good. Light. Fun.”
“Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water is hard sparkling done light. We’re the lowest calories of any of the major brands with just 88, we’re low-carb and we’re no sugar,” Feldman says. “Everything you’ll see from us is reinforcing these facts because it’s a major competitive advantage.”
It and other hard seltzers source a majority of their volume from outside of the beer category. Because it’s a relatively new space, most consumers are not loyal to one brand, and they continue to seek variety, Feldman says.
Volume for the category was up more than fourfold in 2017, and industry analysts expect hard seltzers to continue to shine this year, Feldman says. “Early indications are that our distributor network is really optimistic about growth opportunities.”
* Average Analysis per 12-ounce serving: Lemon Lime: 88 calories, 1.7 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein. Strawberry Kiwi and Passion Fruit: 88 calories, 1.6 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein.