vitaminwater Enlists Spike Lee to Capture the Essence of New York City

vitaminwater is debuting a new campaign entitled 'vitaminwater from New York' - the brand’s first in two years. The brand’s latest campaign from WPP Open X pays homage to the unique energy of New York City that is reminiscent of what the brand is today - colourful, flavourful, and anything but boring. 

To bring the creative concept to life, the agency enlisted award-winning filmmaker and producer Spike Lee to immerse fans into the vibrant world of NYC, in a way that only vitaminwater can. Lee lends his directorial eye and creative vision to the campaign that honours the distinctive boldness of the city and hits close to home, capturing how vitaminwater is truly so New York. The creative centers on the beauty in the everyday from the perspective of a New Yorker by showcasing how vitaminwater fuels and is fueled by the energy of the city - from the corner bodega to the food truck that’s open late to iconic landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge.

Supplementary to the hero creative, three emerging film students at a prominent New York City university were tapped to direct films entitled 'Energy of New York', 'Color of New York', and 'Taste of New York'. The students who directed the short films were handpicked by Spike Lee himself, including Joshua Reed, Kaitlyn Busbee and Joecar Hanna. Their content tells the story of everyday New Yorkers living a bold and vibrant life amidst the lovable chaos of New York City, with a rainbow of vitaminwater flavours - like energy, xxx, power-c, squeezed, and focus - at center stage. 

'vitaminwater from New York' goes live across paid and social running through September in the U.S. and October in Canada. The launch is accompanied by an extensive amplification plan, consisting of digital video, social media, streaming, audio and eye-catching out-of-home advertisements, tailored to New Yorkers. 

Director Spike Lee comments, “Directing the ‘vitaminwater from New York’ ad campaign was an exciting opportunity, given I grew up in the city and it’s shaped my creative experience in countless ways,” says Spike Lee, award-winning filmmaker and producer. “Since vitaminwater is also from New York, it’s been a lot of fun exploring how the brand injects a daily dose of vibrancy into people’s lives, much like the iconic city. To tell this story, I’ve also hand-picked three of my graduate film school, young and talented students to create a series of short films that reflect New York’s energy, colour and taste. I’m thrilled to see how this content showcases the many flavors of NYC in a way that’s uniquely authentic to vitaminwater.”

Luke Perkins, sr. director of creative strategy at The Coca-Cola Company, said, “We’re thrilled to debut our new campaign, ‘vitaminwater from New York,’ directed by legendary director and native New Yorker, Spike Lee,” says Luke Perkins, sr. director of creative strategy at The Coca-Cola Company. “Not many people know that vitaminwater was born in New York; created because New Yorkers wanted more flavor and function for their lives. That’s what makes vitaminwater what it is today – colorful, flavorful, anything but boring. We’re excited to take the brand back to its roots to celebrate the diversity, vibrancy, flavor and attitude of New York, in a way anyone living anywhere will emotionally relate to.”