Dwayne Johnson leads Voss challenge to show 'drops of kindness'

Brief:

• Voss Water and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the actor who owns part of the Norwegian bottled water brand, are challenging Instagram users to show "drops of kindness" for a chance to win prizes. The sweepstakes will give away merchandise every week until Nov. 30, according to a press release emailed to Mobile Marketer.
• To enter, Instagram users need to follow the @vossworld and @therock accounts and provide a written description or picture of an act of kindness using the #likeavoss and #sweepstakes hashtags. Entrants can win merchandise such as Voss-branded water bottles and pool floats, or items from Johnson's Project Rock Under Armour collection.
• Consumers also can enter the sweepstakes by visiting the likeavoss.com microsite, which includes a "kindness tracker" to monitor acts of kindness in the U.S. The first 25,000 people to register at the site will win a free bottle of Voss. A "special surprise announcement" is planned for World Kindness Day on Nov. 13, the announcement teases.

Insight:

Voss Water's sweepstakes aims to raise awareness for the premium bottled water brand by harnessing Dwayne Johnson's popularity on Instagram. Johnson's @therock account has 197 million followers, making the former wrestler the most popular personality after soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo and singer Ariana Grande, per a ranking by researcher Brandwatch. With that massive reach, Voss can connect with a global audience of younger consumers who are more elusive to traditional media outlets like linear TV, and boost the following to its account that has 391,000 followers.

The brand also can engage those followers with its hashtag challenge that asks Instagram users to share uplifting images and anecdotes about acts of kindness in the lead-up to World Kindness Day. By offering a chance to win prizes, Voss is incentivizing people to participate in the challenge and expand its reach among a wider group of Instagram users who may not follow the brand or Johnson. While a recent study found that 75% of social media users are unlikely to use branded hashtags, Voss can still bolster brand awareness and identify Instagram users who are more likely to become brand loyalists.

Voss's campaign is the latest sign of how Johnson's investment in the company has led to marketing efforts that leverage his global celebrity appeal. Voss and Johnson announced the collaboration last year, saying they would expand distribution into global markets such as China and develop new products. The water brand featured Johnson in its "Live Every Drop" campaign from 2019 that the brand described as its biggest social media push in years.

Voss is the latest brand to start a hashtag challenge, which has seen usage soar among homebound consumers during the coronavirus pandemic. Delivery company Shipt last month started its first hashtag challenge on Instagram for a back-to-school promotion that asked people to submit dance videos for a chance to win a membership and groceries for a year. Fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 last month worked with 7-Eleven on a campaign that included a dance challenge on Instagram and TikTok. Mastercard last month also urged TikTok users to participate in a virtual version of a stadium wave as European soccer teams competed in the UEFA Champions League.