The Independence Day holiday weekend is arguably the quintessential summer experience: a chance for people to spend time outside, eat barbecue, and hang out with friends. Seizing on the emotional power of the holiday was SoBe Lifewater, which threw a party hosted by Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Rashida Jones at the pool and lounge at the recently restored Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica. The party served as a launch for new flavors from the brand.
"It's the essence of what SoBe is all about and what the brand stands for," said SoBe Beverages director Angelique Krembs, who worked with Epiphany Media to produce the party. "The brand really has a heritage of healthy hedonism. It's a combination of healthy and refreshing products, but also a lifestyle—and, at the end of the day, just a lot of fun."
Although SoBe is doing a big marketing push in New York this summer, it chose Los Angeles for the Independence Day party because the target demographic—not to mention the weather—was right. "L.A. felt fitting with the brand," Krembs said. Epiphany managing partner Lisa Chu added, "We wanted to do something celebratory along brand strategy. The 4th is the biggest summer holiday, and because we're doing Summer Fridays in New York, we wanted to spread the love a little bit. L.A. is a great place to target our core consumers: milliennials and tastemakers. L.A. has a cool, sexy beach vibe, but you don't get the overkill and the heat of Miami."
Entertainment came from Benji, Joel, and Josh Madden, plus DJ Reflex. The event showed custom '40s-style pinup costumes designed by stylist Mariel Haenn, co-branded swimwear designed by Jungle Gurl, and offered SoBe Lifewater towels, bathrobes, fans, and beach balls. The hotel prepared a barbecue menu to complement SoBe Lifewater cocktails under poolside cabanas.
Guests spent time in a gaming lounge from EA Sports, or got spa treatments like poolside massages. Gift bags included products from brands such as Hellz Bellz, Havaianas, and Mosley Tribes.
As for how SoBe picked the events' hosts, organizers say the fit was natural. "We wanted to hit celebrities that were fitting to the brand. [Organizers and hosts alike] wanted it to be a very fun-loving environment. [The hosts] wanted to do something where their friends felt comfortable. We wanted to make it seem like SoBe is part of this party, and it's very organic feeling." Krembs added, "From a brand essence standpoint, we don't want to be partnering with folks who wouldn't want to be there. These guys said, 'This feels cool. This is something that we would like to have our names associated with. And we were like, 'We've got a meeting of the minds here. This is going to be a good fit.'"
Partners like EA helped supplement the event with perks that didn't affect SoBe's budget. "EA Sports' gaming lounge featured some games that aren't out yet. It supports our activity without us having to pay for it. It's another way we got around the tight budgets that we're on these days," said Chu.
Krembs added, "We tried to make it so that it's something [guests] can have that they wouldn't be able to pay to get otherwise. Obviously we're budget conscious, and we have to make sure that the way we put these programs together, but we didn't have to sacrifice a lot because we had a lot of partners who were willing to collaborate with us and [offer] their brands in kind. It makes it a little easier, a little more organic."
