Fine Bottled Waters Move into the Advertising World of Wine

Why would a bottled water brand advertise in a wine magazine? To promote water as "the perfect complement to fine food and wine." After all, wine enthusiasts are all about pairing food and a beverage. Why not include water on that beverage list.

"The idea is to communicate first of all, the purity and light taste of Acqua Panna and at the same time the elegance, sophistication and preciousness of this still mineral water using the language of wine," explains the Acqua Panna public relations team. "Acqua Panna has the rare ability of enhancing the most subtle and refined flavours of the world's finest foods and wines."

Acqua Panna developed the advertising campaign with Ogilvy New York to present Acqua Panna not only as a water fit to be on a dining table, but as a water that belongs on the wine list.

This ad below ran in the October 31, 2004 issue of the Wine Spectator. It shows Acqua Panna in a wooden wine case flanked by wine bottles from Castello Pomino of Marchese de Frescobaldi, whose wine estate is only at 15 kilometres from the Acqua Panna source in the heart of the hills of Tuscany, Itlay.  
 
Acqua Panna comes from a source 3,700 feet high in the Apennines Mountains of Tuscany, and known for centuries by noblemen, hunters, shepherds and farmers for its remarkable purity and freshness. This source is located on a vast, unspoiled natural reserve north of Florence and is nestled among beechwood and chestnut forests, and lush meadows on the slopes of Mount Gazzaro in the town of Scarperia.

Legend has it the ancient Romans built the only road stretching from Northern to Southern Italy through Scarperia - and past the source - to provide well-deserved refreshment to weary travelers.

Acqua Panna is one of the two Italian bottled waters - the other being S. Pellegrino - imported by Nestlé Waters North America Inc. to the United States. Hence, the reason that at many restaurants the two choices of bottled waters are S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. Nestle Waters North America is a division of the Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., the largest food company in the world. Nestle sold $2.6 billion dollars in bottled water in 2003.

Oglivy created four different ads for the Acqua Panna campaign, including the wooden wine cask above. In other three ads visuals wine elements are shown to support the theme "Acqua Panna is a water that belongs on the wine list."

Each visual is complemented by a body copy that describes the qualities of Acqua Panna as delicate and distinct, smooth and sophisticated, rich and refined, lush and luminous.
                          

The campaign started in 2004 and will appear in many wine magazines around the world such as, Wine Spectator in the USA, Decanter in the UK, Der Feinschmecker in Germany, Sommelier in Spain, Cuisine and Wine in Singapore, and Gourmet Traveller in Australia.

 Download a PFD of the entire campaign