Behind the Campaign: Thirst Trap by Gatorade targets Dry January

Creative Moment caught up with Hannah Jackson, creative director at Pangolin to discuss the agency’s mouth watering efforts for Gatorade.

January saw Gatorade launch ‘the World’s First Science-Backed ‘Thirst Trap’ Alarm’ to help the nation stay hydrated.

The research backing the campaign found that 95% of Brits drink less water in January, revealing a winter hydration gap, while behavioural science shows sound can spark thirst, even when cold weather dulls natural cues.

Hydration Booster by Gatorade launched the world’s first science-backed ‘Thirst Trap’ ASMR alarm to help Brits hydrate in the ‘driest’ month of the year.

We caught up with Hannah to find out more…

Creative Moment (CM): What inspired the campaign?

Hannah Jackson (HJ): The idea started with a simple problem: people drink less water in winter. Cold weather suppresses thirst and can trick the brain into thinking it’s already hydrated, giving “Dry January” a whole new meaning.

One thing I noticed since working with Gatorade was that the more we talked about hydration, the thirstier I felt; it was doing wonders for my hydration levels. And there’s a reason why: behavioural science shows that sounds, sensory cues and water-based imagery do actually trigger thirst.

So we brought it all together with Thirst Trap – a 30-second ASMR-style alarm designed to get people reaching for a glass of water (and hopefully, some electrolytes). You can download Thirst Trap and set it as your alarm audio on your phone – a simple science-led nudge to hydrate.

CM: How did you get people to care?

HJ: Relatability and timing were key here. January is crowded with over-the-top wellness trends so positioning hydration as an easy and essential habit helped the idea cut through.

We also tapped into the highly engaged ASMR community on social, working with WhispersRed, aka Emma Smith, to feature in the audio and video. A layer of science added credibility and media appeal, drawing on Gatorade’s 55 years of hydration research and working with Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo to make sure every drip, pour, and fizz was crafted to trigger thirst. And finally, a touch of the WTF factor, with the ‘Thirst Trap’ name sparking intrigue.

CM: And did it hit the right metrics?

HJ: The campaign has landed well across PR and social, with 226 pieces of coverage to date and a reach of more than 81 million. More importantly, early anecdotal feedback suggests it is genuinely changing behaviour with further metrics to follow.

CM: What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?

HJ: The main challenge was striking the right balance of staying true to the intimate ASMR style without making it feel overly polished. The strength of the idea was that the product sat naturally at the heart of it, a product demo in disguise.

CM: What’s the biggest lesson you took away from the campaign?

HJ: The power of keeping things simple. The name and concept are easy to understand, yet novel enough to offer a fresh angle on a very relatable problem. I also learnt a lot about the ASMR craft, where an enormous amount of thought and care goes into every detail, and you become hyper aware of every sound – stomach rumbles being one of them.