Seattle-based Jones Soda Co. is turning its bottles into beacons of optimism during the COVID-19 pandemic with limited-edition “Messages of Hope” cream soda labels featuring inspirational images created by consumers.
Debuting in early July with a separate six-bottle series for both the United States and Canada, the new labels convey the spirit of resilience that has emerged during the coronavirus crisis. Photographs capturing that spirit range from a rainbow mural thanking essential workers to chalk art proclaiming that “We’re All In This Together” and landmarks like Seattle’s Space Needle and Toronto’s CN Tower beaming messages of solidarity through banners and night lighting.
The series joins other themed bottles produced by Jones Soda during the past decade, including a metallic skateboard label released earlier this year on the company’s top-selling Berry Lemonade flavor and a Pride Edition collection issued in 2019.
Jones Soda’s regular labels are changed every few months using black-and-white photographs submitted to the photo gallery on the company’s website. Jones fans have submitted more than 1 million photos since 1999, and the label artwork has become a hallmark of the brand. Jones is also known for quirky color-drenched flavors like Fufuberry and Blue Bubblegum, the use of cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, and grassroots marketing at live action skateboarding and BMX biking sports events.
“In many ways, the current pandemic has brought out the best in people, from lawn signs supporting essential workers to artists whose expressions of encouragement have appeared in their communities as well as on social media. Our team quickly realized that our bottles provide a perfect canvas to spread those positive messages even further, and that’s how our ‘Messages of Hope’ collection was born,” said Maisie Antoniello, vice president of marketing at Jones Soda, in a statement. “Every image in the series is a symbol of hope, strength and unity as we face this global health crisis together.”
The photographers whose images are used in the series come from five U.S. states as well as Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. Each photographer is credited on the relevant label.
The new collection marks Jones Soda’s second initiative inspired by COVID-19. The company recently completed a design contest that raised $10,000 to assist artists whose livelihood has been impacted by the pandemic through a donation to Artist Trust, a nonprofit organization that supports individual artists in Washington State through grants and professional development.
