The target audience doesn’t want to hear people telling them to wear a life jacket. Our life jackets were relatively new on the market, and they are more lightweight and easy to wear than normal.

To promote life jackets, we launched a drink that was actually salt water, designed to give people a taste of drowning. Printed on the can was a coupon for a 30% on a life jacket in-store.

If we’d approached these people asking if they wanted to try on a life jacket, they would have told us to get lost. The trick with the drink was a fun way for our street team to start a conversation that led to prospective customers trying on the jackets.

The same engagement technique was also used in-store in 25 stores in 5 countries. During the operation, sales of the vest increased by 130%, and after the operation stabilized at a 22% increase.

One in three water users in France does not wear a safety vest.