NEW YORK--()--True Lemon, the challenger brand created by Baltimore, MD based True Citrus, is making its national advertising debut in the $1 billion dollar powdered soft drink market during the week leading up to Memorial Day. The multi-media campaign, with a peak season budget of $4-5 million, was developed by Roth Partners, a NY-based brand communications firm.
“It’s a classic David and Goliath story and True Lemon is a brand with a ‘true’ right to challenge established market leaders.”
True Lemon is a unique entry in the powdered soft drink category because it is made with all natural ingredients and real flavor from real fruit. The brand’s target audience is active, health conscious women 25-54. It’s a delicious, natural alternative to products like Crystal Light.
”Drinking water is part of a smart healthy lifestyle. Flavoring water artificially defeats the purpose,” said Rick Roth, CEO and Founder of Roth Partners. “It’s a classic David and Goliath story and True Lemon is a brand with a ‘true’ right to challenge established market leaders.”
The campaign features a magical character named Trudy, who is on a mission to “keep you true.” She calls a “truth out,” zapping artificial beverage choices and replacing them with True Lemon. Roth Partners and parent company, True Citrus are betting that Trudy will engage consumers through the peak selling season, which runs from Memorial to Labor Day.
The campaign will run through August on cable networks such as TBS, Bravo, A&E, HGTV, the Food Network, Lifetime and Oxygen.
The work was created by a Roth Partners' team including several members highly experienced in the powdered soft drink category from working on Crystal Light. Team members include CEO Rick Roth, Managing Partner Brian Flatow, Creative Directors Eric Aronin and Terril Smith, as well as Digital Partner Jason Strong of space150.
The True Lemon campaign is supported with both broad-based and highly targeted media including:
- National Cable TV – Two commercials will drive broad reach and awareness.
- Digital and Social Media – Highly targeted and viral engagement work including YouTube videos, a web site and Facebook efforts.
- Contests. Sweepstakes and In-Store Promotions – Designed to deepen the messaging around “keeping you true,” and drive trial and repeat purchases.
In late 2011, True Citrus appointed Roth Partners as its first Agency of Record to develop all brand communications for True Lemon. Roth Partners is known for its brand building expertise, in particular for challenger brands. Its clients include Unilever, Infosys, Diapers.com, and the Readers Digest Association.
“Together we feel we’ve created a campaign that is truly representative of a great challenger brand,” said True Citrus CEO, Al Soricelli. “We chose Roth Partners first and foremost because of their talent and the fact that we trusted them. We trusted their experience, strategic vision, creativity and their belief in us and our Brand. When you are picking an agency partner it’s kind of like dating, sometimes you know right away when it’s right and that was certainly true with Rick and his team.”
About Roth Partners. Roth Partners is a brand advisory and communications firm delivering integrated solutions through highly tailored engagement of senior cross channel experts. The Roth Partners model leverages a combination of disciplines in its pursuit of big creative ideas that drive commercial success including strategic consulting, brand advertising, social, digital and shopper marketing, public relations and activation.
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