New York-based Wat-aah!, a premium brand of functional water for kids and teens, is helping to promote healthy hydration and the “Drink Up” initiative led by the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), Washington, D.C., and its honorary chair, first lady Michelle Obama, through a new TV advertisement. In the commercial, Atlanta-based children’s music group Yung Day 1 releases its first single, "Drink Wat-aah!," to encourage kids to hydrate healthily with the water.
Yung Day 1, a hip-hop group made up of siblings Yung Suum, JDash, Mook Mook, QBeezy and Count Dollaz who range in age from 8- to 13-years old, first discovered Wat-aah! while grocery shopping with their mother, Brandi Haulcy. They say they were immediately drawn to the brand, its colors and its cartoon figure and asked their mom to purchase the product for them. Wat-aah! became their favorite drink and "Drink Wat-aah!, Wat-aah!" became a common phrase in their home, according to the brand. The group then decided to compose a song, choreograph a dance, and film a music video, with the hopes that it would reach their friends and other kids both inside and outside of their own community.
The 60-second "Drink Wat-aah!" commercial will be featured on Drink Up's official site alongside public service announcements from Obama and journalist, actress and talk show host Cristina Saralegui. It also was presented during the launch event for Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) and PHA's collaborative album, "Songs For A Healthier America." Wat-aah! is the presenting sponsor of the event and album, which features popular music artists Doug E. Fresh, Ariana Grande, Jordin Sparks, Ryan Beatty, Ashanti and Matisyahu, along with Dr. Oz and The Hip Hop Doc (Dr. Olajide Wiliams), as well as New York Knicks' Iman Shumpert. Yung Day 1 also was in attendance at the event as special guests.
The commercial, produced by Benjamin Barak and Sanctified Crack Gorilla, will air in various markets nationwide including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia. To reach schoolchildren more effectively, the commercial also will be distributed through Channel One, a daily news program broadcast in classrooms to millions of kids nationwide.
