Nestle and Namco Thirst for Absolution and Market Share

Source: Advertising Age, June 22, 2008

To promote its bottled water for children, Nestle has "signed on as a strategic partner" for the launch of "Active Life: Outdoor Challenge," a Namco video game for the Nintendo Wii that will be released in September. Nestle's "Aquapod" water comes in a rocket-shaped bottle, and is marketed to "families with kids aged 6 to 11."

The increased scrutiny of the link between soft drinks and childhood obesity led to the creation of bottled water for kids. But, after spending "billions to get children to crave their sugary-sweet, colorful drinks," the beverage industry must now figure out "how do we get kids to prefer water," as Nestle Waters' director of youth marketing pointed out, "The "Active Life" game may help insulate both "the video-game and beverage industries from criticism that they contribute to childhood obesity," notes Advertising Age. The Nestle / Namco deal includes one million bottles of Aquapod with branded packaging promoting "Active Life," and coupons for Aquapod water in the video game box. However, there won't be ads inserted into the game itself.