In 2024, Bisleri launched the #DrinkItUp campaign with one clear ambition—to use lifestyle branding to elevate bottled water into something aspirational. Rather than just a healthy habit, hydration was now shown as a part of modern, youth-driven life.
The campaign featured Deepika Padukone, but more importantly, it featured everyday moments made aspirational—gym routines, brunches, road trips, and dance parties. Hence, Bisleri placed hydration not in kitchens or clinics but at the centre of youth culture.
Through this approach, the brand achieved what many legacy FMCG companies aim for—it entered lifestyle conversations without changing the product itself.
Bisleri’s lifestyle branding initiative began in January 2024 with cryptic visuals and social media teasers. These hinted at a fresh new look and energy. By February, the core campaign launched across television and digital, with Deepika Padukone as the relatable face of hydration.
Between March and April, influencers, hydration challenges, and branded filters expanded the campaign’s footprint. On-ground activations ran throughout the year, especially during peak seasons like weddings and summer travel.
The consistent presence of Bisleri in both online and offline spaces allowed the lifestyle branding message to resonate deeply with young, social, mobile-first audiences.
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Although Bisleri had near-total brand awareness, its image was no longer exciting. Several issues triggered the need for lifestyle branding:
Therefore, Bisleri had to shift from being a dependable option to a stylish one. A simple brand refresh wouldn’t have been enough. It needed a cultural reboot.
The lifestyle branding approach followed four key pillars:
Hence, Bisleri built an emotional context around a product often treated as purely functional.
At its heart, the message was simple: Hydration is part of your identity.
The campaign wanted consumers to feel that carrying a Bisleri bottle wasn’t just smart—it was cool. From the way the product was held, styled, and even photographed, it became a lifestyle branding symbol, not just a plastic bottle.
The updated brand positioning was clear: Bisleri is for modern, fashion-conscious, wellness-focused Indians who see hydration as a personal expression.
Bisleri’s media mix reflected a true lifestyle branding campaign:
Television and Digital Films:
The commercial with Deepika was shot across aspirational, yet everyday locations—cafés, homes, gyms—making the narrative visually rich and culturally relevant.
Social Media & Influencers:
Instagram Reels featured fitness and fashion influencers showing off their “hydration moments.” Challenges, filters, and UGC-friendly content pushed reach organically.
Retail Activations:
Bisleri redesigned its packaging to reflect the #DrinkItUp vibe. Hydration booths at events and cafés further embedded the campaign into everyday youth hotspots.
Lifestyle Media Coverage:
Vogue, GQ, and Grazia India ran stories connecting Bisleri with the rise of “glam hydration.” Interviews with brand heads revealed how the brand reinvented itself through lifestyle branding.
Campus Engagements:
Activations across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune colleges drove student-led content creation, increasing cultural relevance.
Each touchpoint was intentional, reinforcing the narrative that hydration could be fashionable and expressive.
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The results were both measurable and meaningful:
Online Performance:
Offline Results:
Perception Shift:
Post-campaign surveys showed a jump in associations with “modern,” “fashion,” “youth,” and “cool.” For a category like bottled water, that shift was significant—and it was powered by lifestyle branding.
The #DrinkItUp campaign is now a case study in using lifestyle branding for PR success. Some key lessons include:
As Professor Ashita Aggarwal noted, “Bisleri didn’t just use a celebrity—they embedded their brand into a lifestyle, with clarity and charm.”
Yes, a few.
Overbranding with Celebrity:
Using Deepika Padukone across too many scenarios risked oversaturation. However, well-edited content and subtle placement avoided this.
Environmental Sensitivities:
Plastic waste concerns remain a reality for bottled water brands. By steering clear of sustainability claims and focusing on lifestyle branding, Bisleri avoided opening a conversation it wasn’t equipped to lead.
Because of careful messaging and well-chosen visuals, the campaign stayed out of controversy while achieving its goals.
Several reasons make #DrinkItUp a milestone in Indian PR campaigns:
For PR professionals and students, it serves as a reminder that creativity, not budget or product category, is often the real differentiator.
Curious how storytelling, visuals, and smart strategy can turn even basic products into cultural symbols?
At the School of Communication & Reputation (SCoRe), we teach you how to create breakthrough campaigns like #DrinkItUp through our PGDM in Public Relations and Corporate Communications.
Explore how brands win attention and loyalty by understanding the lifestyle choices of young India. Visit us today https://www.scoreindia.org/ or give a call at +91 98115 72673 to know about the course in Public Relations.
