Sparkling water looks like a simple product, which means brand does most of the selling. Players here include Liquid Death, Spindrift, LaCroix, Bubly, Aura Bora, and functional entrants like Recess and Hop Wtr. Some push design and humor, others push natural flavor or calm. Because the liquid is similar, ads carry the differentiation. Studying them shows how beverage brands build identity on social feeds, how they pitch healthier swaps for soda, and which creative formats earn attention in a category with very little product to explain.
Aura Bora is a San Francisco sparkling water brand founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife team Paul and Maddie Voge. It uses herb, flower, and fruit infusions (not artificial flavors) with distinctive illustrated can art. After a Shark Tank appearance in Season 12, it expanded to Whole Foods, Target, and Amazon. Also searched as Aura.
Bubly is PepsiCo's flavored sparkling water brand, launched in 2018 with a splashy Grammy ad featuring Michael Bublé. Known for its colorful cans with playful tab messages, bubly entered the category with the full weight of PepsiCo's distribution and media budget. The brand targets millennials seeking a fun, no-calorie hydration option.
Dash Water was founded in 2017 by farming-background entrepreneurs Alex Wright and Jack Scott. The brand makes naturally flavoured sparkling water using surplus wonky fruit — rejected by supermarkets for cosmetic imperfections — with no sugar, sweeteners or calories. The brand has become one of the UK's fastest-growing beverages, listing in major retailers including Waitrose and Ocado. Also searched as Dash.
Day One Beverage (drinkdayone.com) makes zero-calorie CBD-infused sparkling water with real fruit juice. The brand targets health-conscious and sober-curious consumers seeking a daily functional hydration option with 20mg broad-spectrum hemp CBD per can. Also searched as Day.
Genki Forest (元气森林) was founded in 2016 by game industry veteran Tang Binsen in Beijing. The brand disrupted China's beverage market with zero-sugar sparkling water using erythritol sweetener, packaged in Japanese-aesthetic cans. Valued at $6B+ at peak, Genki Forest expanded to 40+ countries and challenged Coca-Cola and Suntory in the healthy beverage segment. Also searched as Genki.
Hi-Fi Hops is a Lagunitas Brewing (Heineken) cannabis sparkling water launched in 2018 in partnership with AbsoluteXtracts. Dry-hopped like an IPA with Yakima Valley hops, it delivers zero calories, zero alcohol, and either 5mg THC/5mg CBD or 10mg THC per can, available at licensed California and Colorado dispensaries. Also searched as Hi-Fi.
Hop Wtr is an LA-based hop-infused sparkling water brand co-founded in 2020 by Jordan Bass and Nick Taranto (co-founder of meal-kit brand Plated). Each can contains hops, adaptogens, and nootropics with zero alcohol and zero sugar. After a Shark Tank appearance and investment from Btomorrow Ventures (BAT), it distributes at Whole Foods, Target, and Amazon. Also searched as Hop.
LaCroix is an American brand selling flavored sparkling water without artificial sweeteners or calories, sold in cans through grocery, retail, and e-commerce channels across the United States. Owned by National Beverage Corp, the brand has built a following among health-conscious sparkling water drinkers. It advertises across Meta placements to reach beverage shoppers.
Liquid Death is an LA-based canned water brand founded in 2019 by Mike Cessario (former Netflix creative director). It markets Austrian mountain water in tallboy cans using heavy metal aesthetics, irreverent humor, and entertainment-first marketing. Celebrity partnerships (Tony Hawk, Martha Stewart) and creative campaigns drove a $1.4B valuation.
Open Water (drinkopenwater.com) is a New York-based sustainable water brand founded in 2014 by Nic and Jess Hartman. Open Water offers ultra-purified, electrolyte-enhanced water in 100% recyclable aluminum cans and reclosable aluminum bottles, with a portion of each sale donated to ocean conservation. Available via DTC subscription and in Whole Foods, specialty retail, and restaurant partners.
PATH Water (drinkpathwater.com) is a San Francisco-founded sustainable water brand founded around 2016 by Shadi Bakour. PATH sells purified water in premium refillable aluminum bottles (still, sparkling, and alkaline), positioning them as a sustainable bridge between single-use bottled water and empty reusable bottles. PATH is an official water partner of the Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, and American Airlines Center. Also searched as Pathwater.
Recess is a New York-based CBD-infused sparkling water and adaptogen brand founded in 2018 by Benjamin Witte. It pioneered the now-ubiquitous pastel calm-brand aesthetic in functional beverages and built a substantial DTC audience through Instagram-first marketing. Its "stress index" real-time campaigns linked product to current events (elections, work stress).
Spindrift is a Massachusetts-based sparkling water brand founded in 2010 by Bill Creelman. It differentiates itself as the only sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit — no natural flavors or additives. Sold at Whole Foods, Target, and direct-to-consumer, Spindrift built a cult following through clean-label transparency and earned strong placement at Trader Joe's.
Ugly Drinks was founded in 2015 by Hugh Thomas and Joe Benn, both alumni of Vita Coco. The brand pioneered DTC sparkling water in the UK with a bold anti-sugar stance and limited-edition monthly flavour drops that drove subscriber cult loyalty. After expanding to the US, the brand quietly shut down operations in 2022. Also searched as Ugly.
VOSS Water (vosswater.com) is a Norwegian artesian water brand founded in 2000, sourced from an aquifer in Vatnestrøm, Norway. VOSS built an iconic brand around its cylindrical glass bottle, becoming a fixture at fashion events, luxury hotels, and celebrity tables. Their DTC channel serves premium household buyers and hospitality operators seeking premium water at margin-preserving direct pricing. Also searched as VOSS.
Waterloo Sparkling Water was founded in 2017 in Austin, TX by Jason Shiver and Will Dowd. The brand positions against LaCroix by offering bolder, more pronounced natural flavors at the same zero-sugar, no-artificial-ingredient profile. Waterloo reached Costco and achieved national distribution at Whole Foods, Target, and Walmart. Also searched as Waterloo.
The core job is to make a near-commodity feel distinctive. Brands do it through personality. Liquid Death uses irreverent humor and heavy metal imagery. Aura Bora leans on illustrated cans and herbal flavor stories. Recess builds a calm, pastel mood around stress relief. Hop Wtr talks about an alcohol-free hop drink for people cutting back. The typical creative toolkit is a can in hand, condensation close-ups, a satisfying crack and pour, and lifestyle moments like gyms, patios, and offices. Short vertical video with strong sound design performs well because carbonation is an audio experience. Offers tend to be simple: variety packs, first-order discounts, and subscribe-and-save. Retail-first brands such as Bubly and LaCroix often push awareness and flavor rather than direct sales. When reviewing ads, note how each brand states its reason to switch from soda or sugary drinks. Zero sugar, natural flavor, plastic-free packaging, and functional benefits are the main angles, and each attracts a different buyer.
Sort ads by the job they promise. Refreshment, wellness, a soda replacement, a social drink, and a calm ritual are all distinct positions. A brand that stays on one position across many creatives has made a clear choice. Compare packaging as creative. In this category the can is often the hero, so look at how brands frame it. Day One Beverage, Dash Water, and Waterloo Sparkling Water each make flavor feel tangible in different ways, from fruit-forward visuals to minimal design. Watch the call to action. Direct-to-consumer players push variety packs and subscriptions, while others drive store locator traffic. That tells you whether the brand is optimizing for conversion or reach. Finally, look for humor and tone. Brands like Liquid Death and Ugly Drinks show that an unusual voice can carry an entire ad strategy. If your competitors all sound health-conscious and serious, a distinctive tone is open whitespace worth testing.
They win on personality and packaging. Liquid Death uses humor, Aura Bora uses illustrated cans and herbal flavors, and Recess builds a calm mood. Most creative centers on the can, condensation, and a crisp pour. Reviewing several of these advertisers together makes the pattern easier to spot, because repeated hooks and formats stand out across brands.
Short vertical video with strong sound and quick product moments fits the platform. Carbonation is easy to show and hear, so brands use opening cans, pours, and lifestyle clips. Reviewing live ads from Spindrift and Liquid Death shows the style.
Hop Wtr positions its hop-infused drink as an alcohol-free option, and Recess targets calm and stress relief. Their ads show how functional sparkling drinks speak to social drinkers looking for alternatives. Comparing a handful of these brands in AdLibrary helps you separate what is common in the category from what only one advertiser is trying.
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