While walking around campus, it seems like everyone has an Owala in their hands, or a Stanley placed on their table. With a wide range of colorways, from limited edition drops to special collaborations with celebrities, it is no wonder that the water bottle has become as important an accessory as a hat or a bag. However, this is not a new trend. Back in the height of the pandemic, it was the Hydroflask that was all the rage, with the VSCO aesthetic making waves online. So what actually causes this phenomenon of the water bottle craze amongst Gen Zs?
- Personal choice and aesthetics
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If there is one thing about Gen Zs, it is that curating an aesthetic and exercising their personal choice in the clothes they wear and the stuff they buy is essential for their sense of identity. As teenagers and young adults are exposed to countless trends online, there is a desire to stand out, to fit an aesthetic or to create something that is uniquely theirs. With the wide range of patterns and designs that these water bottles have, it appeals to the aesthetics that pop up online and helps Gen Z to customize their characters.
Take for example the viral “Bowala,” aka the Owala x Urban Outfitters collaboration that produced a white Owala water bottle with cute blue bows printed on it. The bows, the baby blue and the vibes appeal exactly to the clean girl, feminine aesthetics in online spaces that many young girls would love.
- Limited time only
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“Limited edition” and “limited time only” are keywords that attract the attention of almost anybody, including Gen Zs. This idea of scarcity creates the sense that these items are exclusive, and owning a limited edition colorway means that they are one of the chosen ones and the lucky few.
Owala, Stanley and Hydroflask all come in limited edition colors. Some of them are collaborations with popular celebrities or movies. For a fan of this media, there is a pressing need to own a water bottle that screams “I’m a fan!” For example, there was a Stanley x Olivia Rodrigo collaboration as part of the promotion for her Guts tour, and it came in the iconic Stanley cup with the pale purple of the Guts album and tiny stars printed on it. Plus, it being a limited time collaboration just sent fans of both Stanley and Oliva Rodrigo rushing to get their hands on the bottle.
- Status symbol
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One thing about these bottles is that they’re not cheap. With most of them retailing for about $30 to $50, these bottles are priced as such because they tout durability, thermos features and being a necessity for active on-the-go Gen Zs. Plus. When you add on how some of these bottles are limited editions, they can go up to $250 when scalpers resell them on Etsy or Ebay.
Hence, owning a bottle means being part of the lifestyle. To own a Stanley means to have the clean, productive aesthetic that it curates. To own a Yeti means to be an adventurer, a go getter, someone who gets things done and is out there. To own an Owala is to be a fun loving creative. These implicit statuses surrounding these bottles appeal to Gen Zs who want to fit in and who want to be part of the cool kids or the IT crowd.
But at the end of the day, a water bottle is just a water bottle. Some have voiced concerns about this water bottle fad because it promotes overconsumption, especially when people buy more than one bottle just to own one of a particular design. In all things, balance is key. While there is nothing wrong with having one of these trendy water bottles (I myself own an Owala), if you find yourself thinking of clicking “add to cart” when you already own one, maybe pause and consider it again. Because as long as it completes the task of delivering you cool, fresh water on the daily, it’s a good water bottle.