• by Danielle Oster , October 10, 2024

Mio has found a new place to advertise.

The Kraft-Heinz-owned liquid and powder beverage mix brand launched a “Bottle Boards” campaign designed to both reach, and enlist, Gen Z audiences. “Bottle Boards” are small attachable billboards, intended to be placed on reusable water bottles, to promote Mio – a placement close to home for the brand, given it is typically mixed into water.

Per the brand’s description: “Mio goes in water, but most billboards go in-and-around freeways and office towers. Well, as fun as having our picture plastered over a construction site sounds, we’d rather put our brand where it belongs: in the hands of someone who loves being hydrated.”

Instead of just connecting with a bunch of influencers, Mio is offering consumers a chance to be paid for adopting this form of advertising themselves. On a campaign page, Mio invites visitors to apply for their own Bottle Boards by listing their social media handles, biographical information, and where they’d go with to promote the brand. Acepted applicants who post videos on TikTok tagging the brand that show them sporting their Bottle Boards in high-traffic areas “like music festivals, sporting events, and wherever else people might be thirsty,” as the brand puts it.

The mini billboards also contain a QR code that redirects to a sales page on Amazon when scanned. An upcoming contest will use that feature to track how many direct sales participants are able to push through their “Bottle Boards.” Kicking off on November 18, the contest will include 30 participants (U.S. residents 18 or older) selected by Mio, runs through Dec. 18, and includes a grand prize of  $5,000.

“With ‘Bottle Boards,’ we’re tapping into a behavior that’s already second nature for Gen-Z -- customizing their water bottles  -- and taking it one step further by offering them a way to make money from it,” Mio brand manager Adrian Villalpando said in a statement.

According to a 2023 USC sustainability article cited by the brand, 69% of Gen Z uses reusable water bottles, and,the cohort commonly customizes their bottles with “everything from personal fans to phone chargers,” per Mio.

“Bottle Boards” also tap into another phenomenon among younger consumers: the rise of the extra job. According to a LendingTree survey of Gen Z and millennial consumers published earlier this year, 55% reported having a side hustle, contributing an average of $1,253 in supplemental income.