Oatmilk is about to get another boost of awareness as another key player unleashes a marketing campaign behind altdairy ingredient. "Almost Milk" campaign created in-house by Chobani is heading to 1,700+ billboards, transit ads and bus wraps across 27 markets, Marketing Dive reported, augmenting out-of-home assault earlier unleashed by Oatly in several key markets. The markets include NY, SF, Portland, Ore, and Washington DC, where Chobani brand does well and interest is growing in plant-based foods like the Chobani oat yogurts and coffee creamers launched last Nov (BBI, Nov 19). Also in mix is 15-second video running on Instagram, Facebook, Hulu and YouTube that, against soundtrack of tinkling piano, shows elegantly attired woman atop a ladder pouring oatmilk into topmost among elaborate construction of glassware, with the liquid cascading down to glasses grabbed by thirsty recipients. "Almost fancy. Almost milk," titles explain. "Chobani Oat. Tastes like milk, without the dairy," voiceover concludes. Audio executions on NPR and Pandora round out the mix. Chobani's chief creative officer, Leland Maschmeyer, described balancing act in promoting plant-based alternative to the kinds of dairy products that dominate Chobani's own product mix. "We don't necessarily see our role as trying to steal share from other oat-based competitors," Maschmeyer told Marketing Dive. "We see our role as trying to steal share from almond and growing the oat-based category as much as possible." Video can be viewed here.

Maybe because sought-for exit isn't in view, another key sales exec has departed Essentia Water for greener pastures. Jim Venia, who served as natl accts dir for Western region at fast-growing alkaline leader, has taken title of natl sales dir for c-stores and distributors at rival brand Alkaline88, which is in process of merging with another key alkaline player, Aquahydrate, which built base in c-stores. By contrast, Alkaline88's parent, Alkaline Water Co, build A88 as bulk brand in grocers, even as Essentia built out of long presence in natural food channel. Now they're all making c-stores major priority. "Over the years and at various competitors, I have always admired the Alkaline88 brand and how well it resonates with consumers and customers," Jim said in statement. "With a growing portfolio of in-demand products, I am looking forward to helping drive this initiative for the company." Recall that another key Essentia exec, Mike Sharman, recently departed, tho not for direct rival, with move to Recess hemp CBD brand (BBI, Jan 14). A88 already has notched key win on c-store front this year with acceptance into Core-Mark's Smart Stock program supporting 11K c-stores across US with weekly visits from merchandisers.

Danone is diving into the Bulletproof-inspired functional coffee segment with an extension to its Stok Cold Brew brand called Fueled that's rich in protein, MCT oil and butter fat. The new entry from WhiteWave unit in Broomfield, Colo, is debuting with a Fueled Ready-to-Drink Coffee packed in 48-oz multiserve bottle at $5.49 and a 3-flavor Fueled Creamers line in 16-oz bottles at $3.99. In announcing launch, Stok marketing dir Lindsey Morgan took aim at existing entries in segment, contending that "as functional coffee continues to make headlines, and with the lack of options that deliver on both great taste and convenience, we saw this as an opportunity to provide our coffee lovers with a viable solution that is sure to start their day on the right note." The unsweetened Ready-to-Drink Coffee offers 10 g of protein, 5 g of MCT oil and butter fat per serving, while the Fueled Creamers contain 5 g of protein, 5 g MCT oil and dairy butter, in Original, Vanilla and Unsweet versions.

Can the power of sheer branding move spring water? Toronto-based co called Moodwater is testing that proposition with brand of that name that encourages shoppers to choose from among broad array of cartoon water droplets to buy the bottle that allows them to "Express yourself," as label copy exhorts. So core line of 20-oz bottles of naturally alkaline spring water offers options like #Sassy, #Cool, #Grumpy and #Energetic, augmented by seasonal extensions like Summer Moods (#Snorkel, #Surfer), Easter Moods (the droplets have bunny ears for these), Halloween Moods and Xmassy Moods, all shipped in case assortments to ease retailers' inventory burdens. Others tie into good causes, as with pink-ribboned set raising awareness about breast cancer. Moodwater's founder and "chief happiness officer," Hameed Amirzada, said it's surprising how many occasions such purchases can suit - say, with #Grumpy sku that employees like to buy for their demanding boss (before hitting the unemployment line?) or that spouses buy for their worse half. "The most funnest alkaline spring water in the world," co likes to say, offering lure of less clinical-looking alkaline option than Essentia or Aquahydrate.

What is Mood Ring, new bev line being readied for launch by Anheuser-Busch? We couldn't offer much after its debut in so-called immersion area at brewing giant's SAMCOM distributor meeting in Houston about a week ago (BBI, Jan 28), but there is a website offering a smidgen of info at MoodRingBevco.com while also soliciting consumers to offer suggestions for what else should enter line. That shows 12-oz slim-can line promising "good vibes for all without the alcohol" that seems to play in emerging nootropic segment. Mood Ring is emerging in single item so far called Social Tonic that blends schizandra, guarana and ashwaganda with just 1 g of sugar (16 calories) in Spiced Honey & Mango flavor. "100% Good Vibes," website assures. But site also wonders why not entries under names like Balanced, Peaceful or Hype, exploiting such ingredients as jatamansi, Indian gooseberry and lion's mane mushroom? As is often the mode these days, the marketer is IDed as Mood Ring Beverage Co but doesn't go out of its way to stress affiliation with A-B, instead bandying about decidedly un-corporate terms like "wtf" and "powerful shiz." However, "About Us" section of website does come clean with connection. Unidentified 5 founders "hail from all over these great United States and were brought together when we got jobs at a little startup called Anheuser-Busch (that's supposed to be a joke, AB is a giant ass company)." We hear this brand's been in internal gestation for a while, with some degree of outside help to edge concept toward its pending commercialization.

Voss Water has unleashed an uncharacteristic burst of innovation, with a functional extension called Voss Plus that's enhanced with the highly bio-available mineral complex Aquamin and also its first canned entries. Voss Plus incorporates the marine-sourced Aquamin, bringing calcium, magnesium, potassium and nearly 70 other minerals, packed in a 100% rPET bottle with a recyclable food-grade plastic cap. Aquamin, sold by co called Marigot, is harvested from red seaweed called Lithothamnion that's found off NW coast of Iceland. The co has been pursuing various avenues of reinvigoration, including new product innovation, following investment by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. We reached out to marketing exec a week ago for further elaboration on innovation pipeline but haven't heard back yet.

The # of c-stores in US nearly held its own last year, dipping less than 1% to 153,237 units as of Dec 2019. But that served to mask more severe erosion among solo operators and small chains, offset by gains among big chains, as consolidation continued its grip on biz, Natl Assn of Convenience Stores reported. By contrast, groceries suffered 1.6% dip in store count, drug stores -1.7%, but dollar stores continued surge, +4.9%.

Victim of retail apocalypse? Or is private-equity overreach as much to blame? That debate will continue on another front after 50-store Earth Fare chain made surprising announcement today that it's planning to close all its stores and seek buyer for its assets after it failed to refinance debt incurred during buyouts by PE shops. Inventory liquidations are beginning today. The Asheville, NC-based co had closed 4 stores in Dec, including all 3 Indianapolis locations, but few outside observers seemed to envision that retreat would expand to encompass entire chain, an oasis for cutting-edge food/bev brands going back to its founding in 1975 under Dinner for the Earth banner. "Continued challenges in the retail industry impeded the company's progress as well as its ability to refinance its debt," co said in statement issued at 9 AM today. "As a result, Earth Fare is not in a financial position to continue to operate on a go-forward basis."