Vitamin Water, Packaging, Coincidence

Here's a post I never would have made had it not been a coincidence.

Well, those who know me like Top Friend on Facebook well probably know that I'm all but addicted to Vitamin Water. I got hooked—I suspect but unconfirmed like many other Gen GuYs (see left-side for description) have—hearing in college that Revive (fruit punch flavor in the purple bottle - think the fact that there's at least 3 ways to talk about the product and probably 4 if you include leading ingredient) was great for curing hangovers. One successful trial later I was hooked. Then I started trying other flavors convinced that getting my daily reqs of vitamins so easily was a godsend. (Beer + Wingos didn't feel like my source of vitamins A-C.) I liked the way I felt afterwards - never too full. And gradually I started to truly prefer the taste, replacing more sugary OJ and Gatorade, which had occupied close to 75% of my fluid intake other than water. So for about 6 years or so now I've been as I said a real fan.

Today on my way up to a client meeting I grabbed a Multi-V (still my V-dub of choice). In the car I drank and chatted just like every other time. I glanced at the Nutritional Facts like I always do to reconfirm I'm making such an intelligent beverage choice. And I turned past the witty paragraph story about the Jetsons and the pill that's a 3-course meal...and wait, I'm actually not satisfied. Seriously, 6 years of being content reading the same nonsense and today I got a bit frustrated that Vitamin Water has not updated its package. Not frustrated enough to remember when I got back to the office...

But then I went over to my friend Leland's blog to see if he'd written anything about last week's conference. And to my surprise saw this post. This is probably the post I would have liked to write, but may have just ended with something like this: Is it time for Vitamin Water to change its packaging?

I have used Vitamin Water as a clear example of a brand that understands the value of its package as its most important form of communication. Now I wonder if they just got lucky. I wonder if they are scared of change because of its success. I wonder if by the time people have consumed so many that the package starts to annoy them, they are so loyal to the taste and the behavior of getting their daily vitamin intake each day through this source that they wouldn't change - I don't think I'm going to wipe Essential out of my life tomorrow. OJ was still found guilty. But still I'm ready for some new entertainment - and hey, I don't remember the last time I talked about VW (recommended a flavor or had a conversation about the brand other than the "It's bullshit" comment from a med school friend every so often). I think getting a more positive pass along going would be worthwhile - and new stories would be an easy way to do it. And I'm not talking about David Wright and Kelly Clarkson stories. Weird me out. Please!

So read about people's new expectations for brands and communication, packaging in particular, there. And tell me what you think - Should Vitamin Water change the stories? Any other part?