CASE STUDY
SodaStream
Leveraging Viral Activations and Celebrity Partnerships To Join The Global Pollution Discussion
Results
Secured multiple trillions of media impressions worldwide
Created an impactful anti-plastic public art installation in New York City
Media attention drove stock prices and led to a $4 billion acquisition by PepsiCo
“Our company is a large organization, but we still try to have a positive startup mentality. The Pollack Group was great at adjusting to meet our needs as they shifted, and I liked that they could make things happen in a very short period of time. They definitely managed to build big stories around a lot of the things that we did. They were great at managing projects. The team always met their deadlines, were communicative, and stayed transparent throughout. It was like they were a part of our team. Besides their creativity, I was impressed by their ability to create such an intimate working relationship with our team. It felt like we were their number one client, even though they were probably working with others.”
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VP of Marketing, SodaStream
As a company, SodaStream is synonymous with innovation. The agency focused on this innovative trait to rebrand SodaStream — away from soda and toward sparkling water. Moreover, it keyed into the global environmental concern of pollution to push the company to the front and center of the news, and also created the news through creative campaigns and by partnering with celebrities.
Based on environmental research that noted that each SodaStream prevents 3,700 disposable plastic bottles from polluting the environment, SodaStream took a public stance against plastic bottle pollution with its unifying environmental message to encourage consumers to reduce their single-use plastic consumption.
The agency worked to hijack news cycles and insert SodaStream into the global pollution discussion, all while highlighting SodaStream’s health and wellness and environmental benefits. Leveraging “competitor blasting” commentary such as, “Bottled water is the biggest marketing scam of all time,” the agency secured CEO interviews with top tier business outlets.
In creating the news, the agency invited journalists and influencers to a global environmental clean-up where SodaStream debuted “the Holy Turtle,” a 1,000-foot contraption that cleaned pollution on the ocean’s surface. Additionally, SodaStream and Oceanic Society created a 20-foot art installation of the Statue of Liberty, trapped on top of a 40-foot x 20-foot steel structure and packed with single-use plastic bottles, displayed in Flatiron Plaza in Manhattan, NY.
SodaStream partnered with celebrities including Paris Hilton, Reza Farahan, Mayim Bialik, Thor “The Mountain” Bjornsson, Jillian Michaels, and Rod Stewart to craft viral content highlighting the plastic pollution problem. The Pollack Group team played an integral role in the development, logistics, coordination, and earned media of these campaigns, all of which highlighted SodaStream’s ability to carbonate tap water without contributing to the plastic pollution epidemic.
Throughout the agency’s tenure as SodaStream’s agency of record, the agency secured multiple trillions of impressions in consumer, lifestyle, business, health and wellness, and marketing coverage for the brand, culminating in its four-dollar billion sale to Pepsi.
