A new water brand is aimed at kids at a time when sugary drinks are under attack by parents, as well as politicians. Nestlé Waters North America is offering the new Aquapod water under its six regional brands Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Poland Spring, Zephyr Hills and Arrowhead.

"Aquapod is made for kids, but it's still the same water that consumers know and trust," said Courtney Cotter, associate marketing manager for Nestlé Waters North America in Greenwich, CT. "They will see Poland Spring and the other spring water brands on the label, with the packaging made for kids."

The brand launched the multi-million dollar campaign with the tag line "A blast of fun" with retail-specific programs in May. A mobile tour kicked off in New York City earlier this month. Two 18-foot long mobile units take the shape of a giant-sized, bubble-shaped Aquapod bottle. One unit hits the east coast and the other the west coast, traveling to major markets to sample the water at festivals, fairs, retailers and sporting events. Aquapod is targeted at kids aged six to 12 with 500,000 full-size (11-ounce) samples expected to be handed out during the tour, which ends in October.

A new interactive Web site, Aquapod.com, offers games for kids, such as jumping on a pad to inflate an Aquapod bottle. A video game, Snag a Pod, let's kids try to capture a bottle and "hydrate the world," Cotter said.

In-store sampling kicks off this weekend and runs through October. Full-size samples will be handed out along with coupons for $1 off two eight packs. The water comes packaged in eight packs that sell for $2.99 at national grocery stores, mass retailers and clubs.

"We wanted to make drinking water fun for kids," Cotter said. "The idea was to make a cool, unique packing that kids would like and parents would approve of."

P-O-P materials and TV spots on Nickelodeon and The WB support. UCG does event and execution. Ryan Partnership, Wilton, CT, developed the concept of the Aquapod tour; Universal Consulting Group, Brookline, MA, handled tour execution.

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