Ads that sucked me in: DryWater
I admit it: I’m a SUCKER for a good social media ad. Seriously. I have no qualms about companies spying on me to know exactly what I’m searching for, because I don’t know how I would have discovered so many cool products otherwise.
I started thinking: what is it about these ads that draws me in? What do they have in common? And why can’t I stop thinking about the product afterwards?
So here’s an exploration of one of the most recent scroll-stoppers: DryWater.
The ad
The scroll-stopping moment
I think it was a bit of mystery that made me stop scrolling right away: the guerilla-style, camera shake, man-on-the-street approach made me think, “What’s going to happen next?” This ad was married in with a bunch of videos meant to entertain, not sell—think, NYC apartment tours, practical jokes, cat videos. So part of me was like, what’s going to happen to this poor girl?
The hook
He gets to the point and asks her a question: “are you jet-lagged?” and she responds as if totally caught off guard. (And as someone who worked in video marketing for four years, I can guarantee you she’s not—but it sure feels authentic.)
It feels like a genuine interaction, though. And, hell, it doesn’t hurt that this girl is just effortlessly cool. Y’all, I want to look like her! That hat! Those earrings! The layers! That Rimowa suitcase! Our girl is GOALS…and apparently got off a 12-hour flight LOOKING LIKE THAT. Lawd.
The sell
He hands her this classy glass bottle and a packet of powder, explaining all the benefits she can enjoy from it: you get energy, it’s all-natural, there’s antioxidants, it’s easy to take with you. If you listen to the back-and-forth, these questions hit every aspirational young professional checkbox. And then he just so effortlessly, so smoothly, drops that URL at the end. Which is SO impressive—I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to convince folks away from a polished end card on social media, and he just—plop!—drops it in. You get it from the VO, the OST, everywhere you need it.
The feeling
Man, this was so hyper-targeted to me that I’m impressed with their media buyer. I’m hopping on a plane to Australia in less than a month, so you can bet I’m relating to the challenge of wanting to stay hydrated and fresh after sitting in one spot for double-digit hours. I’m a health-conscious person and just saw a social post about how my typical hydrator, LMNT, is apparently bad for your gut microbiome (?!), so I’ve already been wondering about alternatives. So, yeah, it hit me right when I needed it.
The art direction
They show off the product in such a sleek, minimalist container—I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about it that just looks cool, looks high-end. I found myself wondering, “Oh, I wonder if they sell that with the drink packet?” and trust me when I say, I DO NOT need more water bottles.
And let’s get back to our girl’s wardrobe and accessories: I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I didn’t want to look as put together as she does. She’s got it all, you guys! And it only adds to the aspirational factor. (Alas, I will never be her, for I am a nerd.)
Vanity aside, my biggest takeaway was this: they know their audience. Every bit of this was perfectly curated, from the script, to the set dec, to the style of filming.
And guess who’s on her way to Walmart right now to buy some DryWater?