Vita Coco Is Surprising Consumers With Coconuts in the Mail

A coconut is an unexpected gift to receive in the mail, and that's exactly why Vita Coco plans to ship the tropical fruit to unsuspecting consumers. To celebrate World Coconut Day today, the coconut water brand has launched a snail-mail campaign called Coconotes. The campaign invites consumers to send Coconote packages that include a coconut, a carton of coconut water and a greeting that senders can customize before shipping them to a loved one. Vita Coco is offering a limited supply of Coconotes on its website, where consumers can snag and send them for free using the code “Coconut” at checkout. The packages will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, and three lucky recipients will also find a golden ticket inside their box good for a year’s supply of free coconut water. Allison Finazzo, senior brand director at Vita Coco, cited two main reasons for launching the campaign: to drive brand awareness with a surprise-and-delight activation for quarantined consumers, and to highlight the Vita Coco Project—a program launched in 2014 to support remote farming communities in the Philippines and Sri Lanka, where the brand sources its coconuts. “The inability to have human connection right now has been draining. We thought to ourselves, 'What better way to reconnect with someone than to surprise them with a coconut in the mail?'” Finazzo said. “We were also inspired by a post office in Moloka’i, Hawaii, which has a Post-a-Nut program that allows you to ship real coconuts, stamped and decorated as a postcard. We wanted to do something that would illustrate how coconuts make great, unexpected gifts.” Finazzo noted that being able to support the USPS—which has faced delivery obstacles and revenue losses this year—was an added bonus of the campaign. For every Coconote ordered, Vita Coco will donate a coconut seedling to a farmer in the Philippines. The brand has also timed the campaign launch to the announcement of its first-ever chief coconut officer, Somali-American supermodel and Unicef ambassador Halima Aden. In her role, Aden will be the national spokesperson for the Vita Coco Project. Aden and the brand’s first initiative will be developing a fund to build dormitories and recreational spaces for children who haven’t had access to safe schooling. “A lot of people appreciate coconuts for giving us things like coconut water or being a prop for vacation selfies. But many don’t realize the positive impact coconut cultivation can have on the communities where they’re sourced,” Finazzo said. “We decided to use World Coconut Day to talk about this project and highlight how coconuts not only do good for your body, but also do good for the world.” Finazzo said Coconotes also kicks off a broader ad campaign in New York and Los Angeles called "It All Starts With a Vita Coco," focused on educating consumers about the different uses and occasions for coconut water.

CPG News

Vita Coco Is Surprising Fans With Personalized Coconuts in the Mail

Beverage brand's snail-mail campaign celebrates World Coconut Day

Ian Zelaya

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Ian Zelaya