PepsiCo to Launch Premium Water Brand LIFEWTR

PepsiCo is getting its feet wet in the premium water category as it prepares for the launch of LIFEWTR, a purified bottled water brand set to hit U.S. shelves in February.lifewtr-label-design-by-series-1-artist-jason-woodside-41-hr

The company first introduced LIFEWTR at the NACS 2016 show in October. PepsiCo describes the water as “pH balanced for maximum hydration” and infused with electrolyte minerals “for taste.” LIFEWTR will come in two sizes: a 700 mL sport cap bottle that will retail for approximately $2 and a 1 L bottle that has a suggested price of $2.70.

“LIFEWTR is a huge priority for us and an exciting global big bet, and we’ve worked hard to make a premium bottled water experience that combines the right mix of a clean, pure taste with eye-catching packaging and an authentic connection to the consumer,” Brad Jakeman, president of PepsiCo’s Global Beverage Group said in a press release sent to BevNET. “We can’t wait to bring this brand to consumers around the world, beginning with the United States.”

With the launch of LIFEWTR, PepsiCo has set its sights on the fast-growing premium water segment, which is led by Coca-Cola-owned Smartwater and also includes surging brands such as CORE and Essentia. However, PepsiCo is leaning more on the label than the liquid to drive sales.

Targeting millennials and the art and fashion-minded demographic, LIFEWTR comes in clear bottles featuring artwork from international mural artists MOMO, Jason Woodside and Craig Redman & Karl Maier. On launch, LIFEWTR will come in three unique bottle designs and the artwork is slated to change several times a year with three new designs in order to keep the brand fresh and engaging.

In an interview with Fortune magazine last week, Jakeman said that the designer bottle acts as a fashion accessory for their target demo. As well, the design helps the brand to differentiate from Coca-Cola’s Smartwater and also allows it to continue selling its own Aquafina line without drawing connections between it and LIFEWTR.

Meanwhile, the launch of LIFEWTR is aligned with PepsiCo’s sustainability agenda, which it announced in October, and is focused on offering a healthier food and drink portfolio. PepsiCo has vowed that by 2025 at least two-thirds of the beverages in its portfolio will contain 100 calories or less from added sugars per 12 oz. serving.

Jakeman told Fortune that the beverage industry is seeing “a secular and irreversible trend toward healthier beverages” and water is playing a big role among the drinks consumers are moving towards.