This week, Mountain Dew has become the latest brand to refresh an iconic tagline by launching a campaign that pairs “Do The Dew” with a new character named the Mountain Dude. According to JP Bittencourt, Vice President of Marketing at Mountain Dew, this lighthearted initiative aims to increase consumer attention, affinity, and awareness.
“’Do the Dew’ has been around for over 30 years, and we felt it was the perfect time, especially during the peak of the summer season, to introduce the campaign and new direction for the brand, which is all about encouraging people to get up and have a great time,” Bittencourt stated.
The new campaign includes two 30-second commercials that begin with bored consumers using smartphones and virtual reality headsets while lounging on donkeys. Enter the Mountain Dude, a swaggering figure with a ’70s-inspired look featuring long hair, a flowing beard, and a lime-green fur coat.
In addition to the 30-second ads, the campaign features 15- and 6-second spots across linear television, premium online video, social media, digital platforms, and out-of-home channels. The campaign was created with Goodby Silverstein & Partners, who also worked on the brand’s Super Bowl ad for its Baja Blast flavor.
“The Mountain is in the brand’s DNA, and this new work represents a world full of endless possibilities,” said Margaret Johnson, Chief Creative Officer at Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
Boosting Cultural Relevance
The campaign uses slightly edgy humor to capture consumer attention, but its message is rooted in consumer insights.
“We talked to our consumers and found there is a desire to go out and be with others, sometimes just needing a little push to do so,” Bittencourt said. “We thought this was a meaningful message, delivered in a non-judgmental way.”
Consumers can expect to see the Mountain Dude come to life in various real-world experiential activations throughout the rest of the year and into the next. This character allows Mountain Dew to enhance its cultural relevance through spontaneous activations or more planned efforts.
Mountain Dew has long incorporated the outdoors and gaming into its brand identity. Earlier this year, the company launched two year-long rewards programs targeting consumers interested in these areas. The new campaign builds on these activities.
Additionally, the refresh of the longtime tagline “Do the Dew” aligns with a trend of brands bringing back iconic slogans from the ’90s.