Smartwater Smartbeats Launches at SXSW With Toro y Moi

Blurring Technology and Music

Thoughtful Disruption

This week at South by Southwest in Austin, smartwater kicked off a new initiative that blurs music and technology. The smartwater smartbeats program continues smartwater’s commitment to fusing culture, music and wellness, while embracing the brand’s ethos of thoughtfully disrupting the status quo.

The first-of-its-kind smartwater smartbeats initiative will link technology, science and popular music to create an innovative partnership between artists, tech experts and the smartwater brand to leverage music as a tool to become more productive during exercise, mediation, work and more.

As the leading premium water brand, smartwater continues to innovate across its product offerings as well as its marketing.
 

“We are beginning to see the concept of wellness expand past individual responsibility and physical activity,” said Joe Holder, creative director of wellness, smartwater. “We realize the need to create infrastructures and provide tools utilizing technology that serve a greater purpose and making sure we help people. This infusion of music + culture + tech seeks to achieve this, hopefully expand the concept of wellness, and have our partners fuse their passions together in an interesting way!”

Blending Health, Music and Hydration

smartwater invited a select group of artists and wellness experts to talk about the project at SXSW. Holder led a conversation at the FADER Fort with Chaz Bear, singer, songwriter, producer and graphic designer; Jesse Israel, Former music exec and Founder of Big Quiet; and Will Henshall, founder of Focus@Will, a new neuroscience-based music service.

Bear, known professionally as Toro y Moi, will be the program’s lead artist and will collaborate with experts in the space of music and technology. He will begin recording sessions this spring.

“Music, having the power that it does, builds community,” Bear said. “For me, I aspire to partner with companies that do the same – build community. I’m in on this project. I’m excited to see what we can create.”

Additional artists will be announced later in the year.

Connecting the Dots

“It’s an experiment at its core,” said Mike McGarry, group director, integrated marketing communications, Coca‑Cola North America. “There’s this amazing corner of science-based music that is gaining momentum. In addition to this swell, there are so many amazing musicians who are getting personally interested in different facets of wellness. smartwater thought it would be pretty smart to connect the dots, give these artist studio time and see what happens.”

FADER Fort, an annual invite-only event at SXSW, has helped launch the careers of some of today’s biggest music stars.

“FADER Fort is in its 17th year,” said Andy Cohn, president and publisher, The FADER. “And discovery has always been at the core. This event is a natural environment to kick off smartwater’s smartbeats program. People come to SXSW with the expectation of learning about something new and innovative. When it comes to the convergence of music and technology – there is no better place to be”. 

As the leading premium water brand, smartwater continues to innovate across its product offerings as well as its marketing. Last year, smartwater accelerated the addition of two new products to its fast-growing family: smartwater antioxidant and smartwater alkaline.