smartwater x Essence

Experiential / Influencer Integration / Media / Custom Content

In 2025, ESSENCE and smartwater expanded their partnership with a mission to refresh more than hydration. The collaboration aimed to move beyond traditional editorial pillars by tapping into the ESSENCE audience’s core passion points: Beauty, Fashion, and Fitness.

Through custom branded content, influencer activations, and experiential moments across ESSENCE tentpole events, including Black Women in Hollywood, Hollywood House, ESSENCE Festival of Culture, and ESSENCE Fashion House at NYFW, the campaign offered smartwater an authentic way to connect with aspirational, self-assured, and driven women.

My Role - Integrated Marketing Lead:

Editorial-Driven Content

ESSENCE Escapes is an ESSENCE editorial franchise that invites audiences to explore travel through a cultural lens. Produced as an editorial series on ESSENCE.com, the content highlights tradition and culture while inspiring wanderlust.

In 2025, smartwater sponsored two custom videos, showcasing seasonal cultural traditions and positioning smartwater as the premium hydration fueling the thirst for adventure.

Featuring ESSENCE’s senior lifestyle editor and a global travel expert, the two episodes explored Sedona, Arizona and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, highlighting each destination’s unique culture and traditions.

Influencer-Driven Content

Blending beauty and wellness, ESSENCE teamed up with influencers Amanda Booz and Kirah Ominique for the smartwater activation in the GU Creator House at ESSENCE Festival of Culture (EFOC). Each talent shared pre-event GRWM content highlighting travel prep and self-care routines, featuring smartwater alkaline with antioxidant for optimal hydration. Recap videos from the smartwater activation at EFOC also captured live moments and curated highlights, showing how smartwater fuels beauty, wellness, and energy during high-heat, high-impact festival weekends.

Digital, Social & Print Media

smartwater activated targeted display, video pre-roll, print ads, email newsletters and more to boost brand awareness and deliver core product messaging.