Shane McQuaid, HBC Portfolio Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland Ltd, talks us through Deep RiverRock’s new strategic direction and brand platform.
Deep RiverRock, who have been making waves with their new look 100% recycled bottle, have launched a brand new strategic direction and brand platform: Nice One!
The new brand campaign shows how choosing Deep RiverRock 100% recycled bottle is a Nice One! Deep RiverRock will use a new brand character, comedian Tony Cantwell, to remind us all of the positives in everyday life situations.
To deliver the Deep RiverRock brand message, the new Nice One! campaign went live on September 6, led by a heavyweight TV campaign on RTE, Channel 4, Virgin Media & Sky, together with a number of video on demand platforms. The campaign is further supported with new packaging, digital, out of home, experiential, social, PR and shopper activity.
Deep RiverRock continues to grow market share as the second largest impulse water brand on the island of Ireland.
Shane McQuaid, HBC Portfolio Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland Ltd, explains what the campaign involves and why it is reclaiming the phrase ‘Nice one’ as a “pure expression of happiness”.
Can you explain the reasoning behind the creation of the Nice One! brand platform and strategic direction?
“Deep RiverRock was introduced to the market in 1994 and, since then, we have made it our mission to provide a great hydration experience for people all over the island of Ireland with our high-quality water.
“We are committed to keeping Deep RiverRock fresh, modern and premium, and for almost 30 years now, the brand has evolved to respond to customers’ changing needs.
This new strategic direction, Nice One!, is another evolution of this.
“‘Nice One’, a popular and uniquely Irish phrase but often used to be cynical, will be reclaimed by Deep RiverRock for what it really means, a pure expression of happiness – encouraging the nation to see the opportunities in challenges when approached with optimism, while also keeping Deep RiverRock’s sustainability commitment and credentials front and centre.
“With the support of its brand ambassador and comedian, Tony Cantwell, Deep RiverRock will playfully point out these simple moments of joy.”
What will it mean for the brand?
“Reflecting the brand’s positive tone of voice, the new campaign will celebrate those little moments we all experience in the face of challenges. The message will also marry the brand’s commitment to sustainability and the small changes we can all make to protect the planet for generations to come.”
Deep RiverRock has always been renowned for its irreverent, tonguein-cheek humour. Will the Nice One! platform continue this trend?
“Definitely! Over the years, Deep RiverRock has evolved to reflect changing Irish society, becoming a more modern and sustainable brand, but retaining its uniquely playful tone of voice.
“The Deep RiverRock brand is allergic to ‘twee Irishness’, and instead wants to celebrate what it means to be Irish in the 21st century. As always, the brand aims to have ‘banter’ with its audience and maybe even elicit a giggle along the way.
“It will celebrate life in Ireland today, and will champion important topics, like sustainability, but never in a patronising or condescending way.”
You have teamed up with Dublin comedian Tony Cantwell for the launch. What will Tony bring to the campaign?
“Nice One! was developed to reflect the Deep RiverRock brand positioning and help counteract some of the cynicism and negativity that exists in the world. To bring it to life we wanted to create the most enthusiastic brand ambassador, someone who could turn any situation into a positive. The Deep RiverRock Star would be a person for whom sarcasm is a foreign language.
“Like the brand itself, they would be honest, straight talking, confident and witty. They would be so earnest, so selfassured, so sincere, that to say anything other than what they mean would be a waste of time.
“Tony embodies these traits and brought a sharp and savvy wit to the role and added another dimension of humour, using his larger-than-life presence to tackle the mundane, everyday frustrating moments we all experience.”
The brand has also embraced the sustainability agenda, using bottles made from 100% recycled materials and now using plastic shrink-wrap which is also made from recycled materials. Why has the issue of sustainability proven so important to Deep RiverRock?
“Deep RiverRock strives to be a leader in packaging sustainability, pioneering new solutions, partnerships and infrastructure to achieve a true circular economy for waste. Most notably, we have invested extensively in recycled plastic (rPET), which closes the loop by keeping packaging in use for longer.
“Deep RiverRock introduced the 100% recycled bottle range across our full plastic portfolio in 2019 and we are so proud to have been the first mainstream water brand on the island to adopt a fully recycled bottle portfolio. With the growing concern around packaging and plastic waste, our fully recycled bottles have given us a point of difference from our competitors.
“We proudly use the power of our brand and our partnerships to champion recycling at every opportunity. This message is at the heart of our brand story, and is activated across all our marketing platforms, from packaging to point-of-sale, and of course, above-theline communication.”
How does the sustainability mission tie in with the Nice One! brand platform?
“Nice One! marries the brand’s commitment to sustainability, celebrating the small changes we can all make to protect the planet for generations to come. The brand will showcase how we can all play our part by choosing a Deep RiverRock bottle made from 100% recycled materials, and of course, by recycling again.
“And in the latest development in our sustainability journey, the plastic shrinkwrap around Deep RiverRock multi-pack bottles is now also made from recycled material – so consumers can feel good knowing that they’ve chosen a 100% recycled bottle, in 100% recycled material. Hopefully shoppers will agree that that really is a Nice One!”
How important is it that brands like Deep RiverRock take the lead on sustainability?
“Since its launch in 1994, Deep RiverRock has continually listened to its consumers to ensure it could stay relevant and modern. It is no different when it comes to sustainability. Not only is our investment in sustainability the right thing to do, but it is what our consumers want.
“This was confirmed in a recent Bord Bia survey, which highlighted that brands that communicate sustainability credentials will buy consumer trust and loyalty for the long-term. And this is especially true of Irish consumers.
“For example, 80% of all Irish grocery shoppers said that they are willing to make changes to their lifestyle to be more sustainable – significantly higher than the global average. 71% of Irish consumers also said that buying more sustainably produced products will become more important in the next three years.
“Our own research has also confirmed that 73% of consumers across the UK and Ireland want to see our brands encourage the recycling of products and packaging, and 59% of Irish consumers want to see us lead the industry in pioneering sustainable packaging
“We see a role for Deep RiverRock in being at the forefront of sustainable beverage packaging, which we believe will earn us trust, loyalty and ultimately share, for the long-term.”
How does the Deep RiverRock campaign fit into the overall Coca-Cola sustainability strategy?
“In 2018, Coca-Cola launched its global World Without Waste strategy, which sets out commitments to ‘design’ more sustainable packaging; ‘collect’ the equivalent of every bottle or can we sell; and ‘partner’ with NGOs and others to help clean-up the planet.
“Through investment in recycled plastic, more sustainable cardboard solutions, and ‘light-weighting’ of our packaging, over the last three years, we have proudly eliminated 5,000 tonnes of plastic from our supply chain annually since 2018.
“Deep RiverRock has been at the forefront of these achievements in packaging design, through light weighting of bottles and its move to recycled plastic.
"Moreover, Deep RiverRock has been activated to encourage the nation to make the greener choice and to always recycle!
“From the launch of the ‘100% recycled bottle’ in 2019 which bravely swapped its logo for the ‘Recycled Bottle’ message, to its ‘Made to Make a Difference’ campaign in 2020, Deep RiverRock has been a leader in sustainability communication and will continue to champion this at all opportunities.”
The new direction is being showcased via a heavyweight promotional and advertising campaign, as well as a new packaging design. Can you talk us through the new look?
“It was important for us to ensure that Nice One! lived on beyond our 20” and 30” TVC. We know that our target audience live and breathe ‘social media’, so we developed a suite of assets with a nod to cultural references and current trends.
“With our digital OOH advertising, we carried through the larger-than-life presence of our Deep RiverRock Star, breaking the fourth wall and bringing that earnest positivity to life, even through visuals that don’t allow for a script.
“Through out-of-home photography, we ensured that the expression, stance and body language all laddered back to the key characteristics of our Star. At all touchpoints (TVC, social, digital and print), it was essential that the Nice One! message was at the fore and that we connected with our consumers with clarity
“The new campaign is also supported by a refreshed packaging design, portraying a vibrant and modern Ireland. The confident and bold look is inspired by the landscape of County Antrim, where the water is sourced and bottled.”
About Shane:
SHANE McQuaid, Portfolio Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola HBC, has been working with CCHBC for nearly 17 years. Starting off in the trade as a sales representative back in 2005, Shane transitioned to the marketing team in 2009. Shane has covered a variety of roles and brands over the last 12 years, including Deep RiverRock, Costa Coffee and Fruice.
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