Virgin's 'Va Va' Bottle Has 'Voom;' First Ads via Long Haymes Carr

Brandweek, July 10, 2000 by Gerry Khermouch

A revamped Virgin Drinks USA is flagging the long-overdue repackaging, enhanced distribution and expanded flavor line of Virgin Cola in its first advertising from new agency Long Haymes Carr, Winston-Salem, N.C., even as execs furiously work to augment their portfolio beyond soft drinks.

With the cola finally hitting shelves in the curvy "Pammy" bottles that had been promised to the States at least a year earlier, radio spots offer up a hip-hop-inflected jingle arguing that, "If all you got is Va Va, You got to get some Voom; It's in the curvy bottle Yeah, Virgin Drinks' got Voom." Tagline, against a heavy drums-and bass beat, is, "Virgin puts the Voom in your Va Va."

Managing director Bob O'Brien said the spots attempt to leverage the positive feedback the "squeezable" bottles ("curved like your tush," per another lyric) have received from the trade. "It's truly our point of difference in carbonated soft drinks and we will ride it," he said. The spots will air through Labor Day in territories where the Wilton, Conn., firm has rebuilt its distribution, on the two coasts and the mid-South.

The spot, intended to capture the brand's "hip, innovative" flair, said associate brand manager Ben Taylor, also flags Orange and Lemon Lime flavors heading to market. But a new energy drink, in that segment's characteristic 8-oz. bottle, is not heralded in the spot. "It's a great-tasting energy drink, but we're not spending a lot of money on it," O'Brien said.

Instead, he said the top priority now is a new platform with a "very international flavor" and proprietary packaging that should hit the market later this year. In the U.K., the brand recently launched "dt" (for daytime) and "nt" (for night-time) drinks, the latter containing vodka, and O'Brien said that the dt brand could make its way to the States, but not likely any alcoholic drinks.

As reported, after a weak launch of the eponymous cola drink from offices based in L.A., Virgin Cola USA relocated to the East Coast and renamed itself Virgin Drinks to reflect the decision to focus on beverage segments not as dominated as colas by Coke and Pepsi.