Nestlé Waters proves with its Lion-winning ‘Sopranos’ ad that TikTok trends and AI stunts aren’t necessary to make an impact

TikTok — this f****n’ guy

While TikTok still faces a pending ban in the U.S., Gregori said building content for the short-form video platform flexes “a new muscle” that the brand hasn’t quite figured out. And the team is hesitating to do so because of the pending ban and because the channel creates the need for a specific type of content to be successful — “the way TikTok should be done,” Gregori said. And though TikTok is reportedly building a standalone app for the U.S., there’s still too much up in the air to make the channel a must for Nestlé Waters content.

“We are not actively building this content creation up because of the uncertainty on what is going to be the future,” Gregori said. Instead the team, is keeping an eye on what happens “to understand if the race is on or not.”

AI? Fuggedaboutit.

Active in more than 100 markets, Gregori acknowledged that AI is “critical” to adapting campaigns to be fast and efficient. For this campaign, however, Nestlé Waters was flexible enough to storyboard and film material that AI did not infiltrate the creative process. “When it comes to pure advertising and craft, we still wanted to have a lot of human touch,” she said, noting that the former Sopranos cast members helped celebrate the Lion win in Cannes.

“Those guys were incredibly fun and there was nothing we could have anticipated with the machine [learning] because it was part of their creative process of being there and playing with these characters,” she said. “It was like their playground.”

How [you doin’?] to introduce a new brand to crowded shelves

“Launching a new product is tougher than ever,” said Luis Miguel Messianu, co-founder & CCO, MEL, a creative agency, in an email. “Companies are facing volatile markets, supply chain headaches, fast-changing technology, and rising expectations from consumers who want brands to stand for something real and honest.”

It’s not an easy time to stand out from the noise, particularly in a volatile and divided geopolitical climate and as President Trump continues his tariffs war.

“We recognize that the situation can be quite heavy at the moment for some of the U.S.,” Gregori said. “This is about bringing some light-hearted messaging, bringing you the sun. We’re bringing you the Italian air. A moment of humor.”

Execs saw a competitive advantage by introducing a campaign that was “true to the DNA” of the brand, harnessing celebrity status and nostalgia. The U.S. campaign generated over 1.2 billion earned media impressions across 74 placements, and over 840 million digital impressions, according to the brand.

Nestlé Waters began running the campaign in April across a variety of channels: Amazon Prime to dabble in entertainment and introduce the brand, investments on Meta, and billboards in New York to remind consumers as harvest season ramped up this year. Gregori didn’t share details of the exact spend, but said the brand’s investments matched the production cycle of the product itself.

Retail media spend specifically fluctuates to more than one third of the brand’s overall spend during harvest season, Gregori said, without revealing sales revenue. The beverage has been on shelves in the U.S. since February.

Todd Sommers, president, ad agency O.H. Partners, conceded that the beverage aisle and its new products can be “overwhelming” to consumers — but strategies including brand collaborations, new OOH formats and loyalty programs could help win over customers.

“With the increasing adoption of self-checkout and at-home delivery services, product discovery is even more challenging,” said Sommers. “Brands and retailers need to explore new ways to engage consumers and provide value.”