Jimmy Butler Saddles up to Show the Power of Supercharged Hydration

To introduce Essentia Hydroboost to the masses, agency of record Droga5 in partnership with Essentia, are launching “Hold my Hydroboost” - a social-first campaign to shake people out of this state of daily dehydration. The campaign flips the popular ‘Hold my Beer’ phrase to put the product name out into culture in a repeatable and unmissable way. In this instance, the drink isn’t a precursor to an epic fail, it’s the catalyst for an iconic win - a boost that helps you achieve something impressive, remarkable, exciting or rewarding, and challenges other Hydroboost drinkers to do the same.

The social campaign launch features six-time NBA all-star Jimmy Butler, as he saddles up to show what supercharged hydration can do in a super-epic game of “H.O.R.S.E. on a Horse.” Often lauded for his ‘side quests’ during the regular NBA season, images of Jimmy cruising Miami streets on horseback were seeded online as yet another iconic act from the NBA star, before the content of Jimmy’s ‘H.O.R.S.E on a Horse’ showdown was revealed. Directed by Zach Math, the content playfully unleashes Jimmy’s bombastic self as he pulls up to a local pickup court on horseback, proceeds to throw down the challenge and quite literally puts the ‘buck’ into Jimmy Buckets.

While the social and influencer-focused campaign uses celebrity channels to drive mass awareness, #HoldMyHydroboost is amplified by Essentia’s first-ever creator program —partnering with other superstars, notable celebrities and over thirty TikTok creators with a variety of voices. From singer-songwriter and dance superstar Tate McRae putting a supercharged spin on a #GRWM ahead of her upcoming Think Later world tour to teen actor turned athlete Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton out to prove he belongs in boxing after his professional boxing debut ended in a draw. Select TikTok creators in sport, music, fitness, art, gaming and fashion have created their own #HoldMyHydroboost moments and even unboxing videos of specially designed Hydroboost kits to spark conversation around chasing everyday ambitions. Each touchpoint is designed to drive awareness, encourage people to show up and show off, and create a ripple effect in hard to miss social spaces and verticals.

“Hydration is in the collective consciousness in a big way. Drinking water is suddenly synonymous with not only good health, but almost success in general life,” said Tom McQueen, executive creative director, Droga5. “People talk about water like it’s a magical elixir. Which is silly, it’s not—but Essentia Hydroboost is. That’s the beauty of “Hold My Hydroboost.” It’s a celebrity-studded social and influencer campaign that allows us to exaggerate the benefits of supercharged hydration in really entertaining, unexpected and surprising ways - be it a supercharged game of H.O.R.S.E on a horse, or supercharged take on a #GRWM for the world.”

“The water category is pretty saturated (pun intended) so doing something that stands out and steals some attention was an absolute must,” said Rob McQueen, creative director, Droga5. “Sometimes we forget that this can be fun and when we get the chance to launch something into the world with some fun built into it for everyone to enjoy, it’s even better. And despite the internet loving this… We did not need an algorithm or tons of data to know Jimmy Butler playing H.O.R.S.E. on an actual horse was going to be something people would like to watch.”

“It’s always great when you get the chance to deliver something that pushes the way a brand talks to people,” added Nicholas Bauman, creative director, Droga5. “Not only can it launch a new product with an unexpected tone within a watered-down category, literally… it can also make people rethink how they view the brand as a whole. The “Hold My Hydroboost” campaign is just that – a way to invite people into stepping up and doing whatever interesting, unexpected thing they can come up with. And for “Jimmy Buckets,” that was very obviously saddling up a horse for a game of H.O.R.S.E.”

By inviting people to take a sip and step up to the challenge the campaign creates an experience. One that’s participatory and built to be shared and co-created by those who aren’t afraid to pursue the things that excite, reward or recharge them.

Essentia is the #1 ionised alkaline water brand. Amongst the current cultural obsession with hydration, this premium water quickly rose to fame as a status symbol and ‘must have’ accessory for people’s all-day everyday hydration needs.

Now, the Essentia brand is expanding—to a portfolio of performance waters with the launch of Essentia Hydroboost, a new supercharged water with 30x electrolytes.

This product launch comes at a pivotal time, with 75% of Americans experiencing chronic dehydration. That’s a huge mass unknowingly operating at a deficit everyday, impacting their body, mind, mood, and ultimately, their performance. While many are setting themselves up to fail, new supercharged hydration can set them up to succeed. Giving them a boost to bring them back to their best and jump at the opportunities they covet.