Chicago’s Highdive Hired by Illinois-Based Culligan to Lead Global Campaign

Sometimes the solution is right in your backyard. After an extensive competitive review, the Rosemont, Illinois-based Culligan has hired a fellow Illinois company – the award-winning Highdive, based in nearby Chicago – to lead its first global brand platform and campaign, as well as creative for certain product lines. Culligan will also be partnering with Zeno Group to handle PR efforts moving forward.

Culligan has charged Highdive with creating its first-ever global brand platform and leading creative for select commercial and residential product lines. Zeno will lead earned media, creator marketing, content creation and executive visibility to reinforce the brand’s  leadership and portfolio of solutions meaningfully. The agencies will work in concert to launch Culligan’s first global awareness campaign early next year.  

“Culligan is in the midst of a brand evolution at a time when global audiences should pay closer  attention to and care about water,” said Mark Gross, co-founder and co-chief creative officer,  Highdive. “We are thrilled to be Culligan’s partner and together we’ll push forward the mission  to educate and drive awareness globally about the power and importance of quality water.” 

“We have ambitious, global brand and business goals that keep sustainability at the core. Highdive and Zeno are powerhouse agency partners we are excited to work with as we shape Culligan’s next chapter with rigour, consistency and creativity at a global scale,” said Patricia Pieretti, chief marketing officer, Culligan International. “We are taking our brand to new heights with internal expertise and like-minded partners to deliver consumer-centric, data driven work that unlocks greater awareness and desire while infusing Culligan into culture.” 

Throughout the last two years, Culligan has transformed its brand identity and positioning,  consolidating more than 100 brands under a master brand, introducing a refreshed design system featuring a new logo and “Water You Love” tagline alongside a cohesive visual identity in addition to deploying game-changing partnerships anchored in sustainability and consumer centricity. This strategic work serves as a foundation for its new agency partners to build and launch campaigns that reintroduce the brand’s long-standing expertise in science, service and sustainability. Culligan is well-positioned to strengthen its global presence and deepen relationships with loyal customers while welcoming a new generation of consumers seeking clean, great-tasting drinking water at home, at work, and on the go.

Culligans’ efforts are off to a fast start. Last month, Culligan announced a multi-year partnership as the exclusive water partner for Chicago’s United Center arena, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks. Culligan-branded recyclable aluminum bottles are now for sale at concession stands around the arena where the NBA and NHL teams play; customers can purchase the bottles, refill them at Culligan water fountains and recycle them in bins at the arena. In a similar move to eliminate single-use plastic, Culligan earlier this month supplied water bottles at the finish line of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, according to Ad Age.

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