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8.22.2011

what's up with wat-aah! bottled water?


Joke: What's Bruce Lee's favorite drink?
Answer: Wah-taaaah!

It's an old joke. You've probably heard it before. I once actually heard Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou tell it to a bunch of journalists on the set of The Green Hornet. Before that, some kid told it to me on the playground. In 5th grade.

Anyway, why do I bring this up? WAT-AAH! is also an actual brand of bottled water aimed at kids. It's been around since 2008. They were apparently handing out these bottles at a recent Beyonce concert in New York.


At first glance, I was kind of appalled. I mean, what is this? Is that a caricature of a small-eyed Asian guy? And is he really making crazy Asian noises?

After poking around a bit on the brand's website, I'm starting to think that might all just be coincidental. The brand is actually pronounced more like "wadda," and the mascot is just a funny yelling guy who happens to have black hair.

I think.

Hooray for funny bottle branding and trying to get kids to drink something other than soda and other sugary drinks. Though honestly, all costs considered, you're probably better off just drinking from the tap. (Thanks, Justin.)