Happy Monday! Today I want to talk about Pedialyte®, a product typically marketed for use in children to prevent dehydration. With dehydration being a very serious issue, a quick and effective remedy is pretty important.
This infographic from Positive Health Wellness is a great overview of dehydration symptoms and natural treatments.
If you’ve ever had a sick child, you’re probably well aware of Pedialyte. Recently, the brand has now been targeting ads towards adults, specifically as a hangover remedy. The ads below are a couple of examples.
Even more recently, I noticed Pedialyte® ads on Instagram and other social channels that focus on “festival” season. With Coachella opening this past weekend, this is perfect timing. As a marketer, I believe this shows that they are open to ever-changing times, as well as being open to all generations purchasing their product.
I personally think this is brilliant. I’ve seen a few negative comments that say the new campaign is promoting binge-drinking, or that the brand should create a new product if they want to market for this type of “recovery”. I call BS. People are going to do what they do, why not help them recover? And if Pedialyte® can do so without creating a brand new product, I say it’s marketing genius. If you don’t want to use it for hangovers, then don’t. Problem solved!
What are your thoughts? Should brands be more responsible in how they market their products or is it up to the consumer?
