• Wall Street Journal , Thursday, November 13, 2008 11 AM

I doubt the tactic is recommended in one of those "art of war" books that Chief Marketing Officers skimmed back in the days before they ascended to the C suite, but Nestlé has opened a new front in the beverage imbroglio even as its water brands are under siege by environmentalists. And why not? It's an archetypal plot line: Prince Valiant in the role of Wholesome H20 against the Sugar Water enemies of Camelot.

Aaron O. Patrick reports that Nestlé is running spots that tout its Pure Life brand as healthier than soda pop on Spanish-language channels in the U.S. It plans to expand the campaign into English-language TV and print ads across the U.S. in the first quarter of next year. Nestlé has also added an anti-soda message to bottle of its Poland Spring brand: "A typical 12 oz. soda contains the equivalent of 10 tsp. of sugar," reads one label.

The Spanish-language ads feature popular talk-show host Christina Saralegui. "More than 30% of kids in the U.S. are obese," she claims. "Drinking water instead of three sugary drinks per week for a year will spare you seven pounds of fat."

The soda industry, meanwhile, responds that obesity is not their fault. "We need a societal change to increase the amount of physical activity in this country," says Craig Stevens, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association.

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