Not content with simply making ads, Leith has gone a step further, creating a Hell or High, a new brand of lime-flavoured carbonated water, with profits from sales going directly to cleaning up the UK’s waterways – starting with the river that runs right past its back door, the Water of Leith.
To do that, they have commandeered the help of some of the wildlife which so desperately needs help to flourish as they once did in UK rivers and waterways. The drink has been manufactured and distributed in conjunction with local brewery, Pilot, to join a community effort to improve our environment come hell or high.
It’s sometimes difficult to imagine that the Water of Leith, the river running through Edinburgh, was once an idyllic vista filled with wildlife and stunning views. Hell or High – an artisanal, handmade drink with eye-catching Victorian watercolour artwork – has been created not only to evoke those blissful days but also to contribute directly to funds to help the Water of Leith Conservation Trust continue restoring the river to its former majesty.
For The Leith Agency’s head of design, Rob Petrie, the campaign has extra significance. The very same stretch of water he is now striving to protect was also the scene of an extraordinary incident which saw him diving into the river and saving a woman’s life!
The artwork on the cans and print ads takes inspiration from the celebrated Scottish artist James Heron (1873-1919), who painted many stunning watercolours depicting rural Scottish scenes. Both the imagery on the product and the accompanying ads feature some of these scenes alongside some typically zinging Leith captions: “Water that gives a duck” and “No more damselflies in distress.”
There is even an impassioned ‘minnow-festo’ from a small fish who bemoans “Swimming against a tide of shit all day every day,” before they interrupt themselves to acknowledge that finally, someone has come to their aid.
The logo design features the molecular structure of the chemical symbol H2O spelling out HOH – Hell or High. Once the Hell or High campaign has been launched in Scotland, the plan is to focus on other rivers across the UK that are also in dire need of help.
Created with pure Scottish water, fresh lime (a nod to the area’s scurvy-conquering past) and neither additives nor added sugar, the drink will be manufactured and distributed by Edinburgh-based Pilot Beer. The partnership has already led Pilot to convert its cans to being 100% recyclable across its whole range of drinks.
Over the past 40 years, Leith has constantly looked to contribute positively to the local community and this collaboration with Pilot Beer will see all 38p from each can sold going to The Water of Leith Conservation Trust and the essential work they are doing to bring the river back to its former glory.
Hell or High is available from today from local suppliers, and there is an initial first run of 1,500 cans, with an £1.45 price tag, and wholesale price of 89p.
Matt Johnson, director at Pilot Beer said: “It’s more important than ever to shop locally and more than that, to do what we can to give back to the local community and the environment. We feel Hell or High is a brand that can make a real difference across the UK.”
Rob Petrie head of design at Leith said: “The Water of Leith holds a very special place in my heart, and helping to do our bit to protect it for many generations to come feels like the very least we can all do. Now go and buy the drink.”
