Be Ready. Be Hydrated.
City of Seattle Human Services Department
Services
Research | Creative Services | Marketing and Advertising | Community Engagement | Multicultural Consultation
Audience
Black, Latinx, and low-income youth in Seattle
Challenge
Reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among Black, Latinx, and low-income youth disproportionately targeted by harmful beverage marketing
Outcome
The 2023 “24-Month Report: Child Cohort Examining Beverage Consumption” noted a growing trend toward healthier choices among Seattle youth and families—citing increased health awareness and lifestyle education through schools and social media—alongside an 18% decrease in sugar-sweetened beverage sales,
Approach
We designed and launched the Be Ready. Be Hydrated. campaign by starting with what mattered most: listening and understanding. This campaign wasn’t just built for the community; it was built with them. And that made all the difference.
The Challenge
The Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) was introduced to improve health outcomes for Seattleites by reducing sugary drink consumption and funding programs that increase access to healthy food and supports children’s health and learning. However, Black, Latinx, and low-income youths continue to be disproportionately affected by culturally exploitative marketing from sugary beverage companies.
Our challenge was to design and implement a community-led public awareness and counter-marketing campaign that would:
Reduce demand for sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and energy drinks.
Raise awareness about the deceptive marketing tactics used by beverage companies to target Black and Latinx youth.
Educate communities on the serious health consequences of consuming sugary drinks—especially the increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Our Approach
Community-Driven Research
To help us build trust and ask the right questions, we brought together a group of community organizations that work directly with young people every day. Through them we are able to gather youth voices through surveys, focus groups, and honest conversations.
What we heard was loud and clear, young people wanted positive messages, not scare tactics. They saw water as the best alternative to sugary drinks, and they were tired of being targeted by companies pushing unhealthy products.
Campaign Co-Creation
With those insights, we co-created the campaign alongside local community-based organizations and a power group of young Seattle-area residents. Together, we designed a look and feel that felt real to the communities we aimed to reach. Executions featured urban environments, reusable metal bottles, and transceated messaging in English and Spanish.
Campaign Rollout
We initially planned an hyperlocal in-person, arts-based and health-oriented approach, with events and neighborhood walks to explore how sugary beverage companies targeted youths. But the onset of COVID-19, statewide stay-home orders, the George Floyd–inspired racial-justice uprisings, and regional wildfires made in-person gatherings impossible. So, we pivoted to a primarily virtual campaign rollout, but still maintaining some physical presence through swag drops at food banks, socially distanced high school orientations, protests, and community organizing meetings.
Highlights
PRSA President’s Choice award winner
Bilingual campaign co-creation
The Impact
The Be Ready. Be Hydrated. campaign successfully created a powerful, hyperlocal movement among Seattle-area youth through both digital and community-centered strategies.
Reach
The campaign generated 5.9 million impressions, over 14,000 engagements, and secured coverage across more than 15 local media outlets.
Ground-level impact:
Distributed over 9,000 branded campaign swag to target audiences.
Black Stax shared swag with protestors and bike brigades.
Hip Hop is Green distributed campaign materials through their plant-based food box program.
Latino Community Fund integrated hydration education into its Alianza Youth program.
The Service Board and West Seattle Farmers Market included campaign materials in outreach to SNAP recipients and beachgoers.
Partnered with Seattle Parks and Recreation in the first virtual Big Day of Play
Supported the Rainier Beach High School to create a culture of water drinking through bottle-filling stations and outreach to incoming freshmen.
Results
The 2023 “24-Month Report: Child Cohort Examining Beverage Consumption” noted a growing trend toward healthier choices among Seattle’s low-income youth and families—citing increased health awareness and lifestyle education through schools and social media—alongside an ~18% decrease in sugar-sweetened beverage sales, signaling meaningful progress in shifting community norms.