Fitness influencer Ashton Hall’s morning routine has turned into a huge boost for Saratoga Spring Water, and after a viral video last month turbo-charged the brand’s sales, we’re watching for their next move.
In early February, Hall posted a minute-by-minute video of his morning routine to Instagram and TikTok. It continued to gain traction throughout March thanks to the shareable absurdity of his regimen.
The video begins at 3:50 a.m. and includes multiple instances of dunking his head in ice water and rubbing a banana peel on his face. Most notably, Hall seems to be a big fan of Saratoga’s bottled water, given how often he shows off the brand’s distinctive blue glass bottle.
Now, Saratoga is being hailed as the “latest TikTok craze,” in the words of MarketWatch, and the stock of its parent company Primo Brands (formerly BlueTriton) is booming, as are retail sales.
Saratoga’s viral fame is just the latest in a long line of brands unexpectedly blowing up online for an out-of-left-field post; recall Ocean Spray’s “Vibin’ to Fleetwood Mac” moment, Poppi’s founder story breakout, or the entire phenomenon of WaterTok.
Flexible Creative founder Kendall Dickieson told BevNET “the brands that benefit most from viral moments are the ones that act quickly and lean authentically into the trend,” which Saratoga looks so far to be doing well.
Ocean Spray’s ‘Vibin’ video, which was posted in 2021 by TikTok user Nathan Apodaca without involvement from the brand, is a prime case study for how to successfully build on an organic viral trend, she said.
Ocean Spray won by 1) Publicly acknowledging the moment and 2) Keeping the spotlight on the creator and “not trying to hijack the narrative and make it about themselves.”
“This playbook works because it feels natural and earns goodwill,” Dickieson said. “Once the initial buzz fades, smart brands build layered content or campaigns around the moment — remixing the vibe into future posts, ads, or even product launches. It makes it feel like a ‘moment we all waited for’.”
What matters most is that the brand’s presence in Hall’s morning routine feels organic (and cold!) to consumers. Now, the ball is in Saratoga’s court to capitalize.
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