Summer trial pack sold out in 19 days on first-sip videos

Tartly makes low-sugar sparkling tonics with apple cider vinegar in them. That ingredient is the reason people buy a second can, and the reason plenty never buy a first. Its early ads described the flavour in careful, pretty words, and viewers filled in the gaps themselves. “Tastes like salad dressing” was the top comment on nearly every post.

With a summer trial pack on the way and new supermarket listings in four cities, the team needed people to try one can, soon.

We built the campaign around the objection. Twelve creators from the four launch cities filmed their first sip, unrehearsed, with their doubts stated up front. Nobody was told what to say about the taste. The only must-say was the price of the trial pack. We also asked creators to keep filming after the first sip, because the second reaction tends to be the honest one.

The creators posted to their own feeds as part of a paid creator campaign. We picked the four strongest posts, ran them as ads through the creators’ handles, and cut extra hooks from the reaction shots.

The trial pack sold out in 19 days, about a month ahead of plan. The top ad opened with a creator saying “I’m going to hate this”, then looking annoyed at how much she didn’t.

The second-can theory held up as well: 41% of trial buyers reordered within 60 days. Tartly now plans every launch around the same format, and it has given up trying to describe the flavour at all.