Owala, the nation’s leading viral water bottle brand, made waves this past weekend with its highly anticipated pop-up event, “The Drip Stop.” Owala enthusiasts flocked to Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles to experience the unveiling of the brand’s latest innovation – the Owala SmoothSip Slider.
On September 14 and 15, nearly 3,500 Owala fans lined up as early as 3 a.m. or waited up to five hours. At times, the line stretched a mile long.
As TikTok creator Kaitlin Zheng captioned in her post about the event, “People passing by asked us what we were in line for, and they responded, ‘all that for a new tumbler?’”
What is the Owala SmoothSip Slider?
Designed to revolutionize the we-have-coffee-at-home game, the Owala SmoothSip Slider is leakproof when the slider is locked and easy to sip from. Made of insulated stainless steel, it keeps drinks hot for six hours and cold for 24. The tumbler is free from BPA, lead, and phthalates, with a dishwasher-safe lid and a hand-washable cup.
They are available in 12 ounces for $22.99 and 20 ounces for $27.99 in Plum Perfect, Candy Coated, Campfire Nights, Golden Quest, Shy Marshmallow, Moonlit Shadow, Very, Very Dark, and Lakeside.
What was Owala’s “The Drip Stop” pop-up like?
Despite the overcast weather on Sunset Boulevard, fans enjoyed complimentary waters, mini doughnuts, and free merch from trivia games as they waited in line. Inside, early arrivals chose their tumbler colors, while later guests received random ones, leading to trades. Fans had access to photo opportunities and free hand-crafted beverages made directly in the SmoothSip Slider.
“We can’t wait to take Owala on the road to LA and introduce our soon-to-be-revealed new product to fans,” said Matt Harris, VP of Marketing at Trove Brands, in a blog post. “It’s an opportunity for us to engage with our Owala community face-to-face with an event that promises to be a ton of fun.”
The excitement surrounding the event was clear, as many fans shared their personal experiences on social media.
“I had really high hopes showing up 30 minutes early. But then I saw the line,” said Olivia Frescura in a TikTok she made about her experience. “Three hours in, some staff came around asking to see if people wanted to get a coupon through their email instead of waiting in the line, but I decided to stick it out, which I kind of regret.”
Five and a half hours later, Frescura made it inside, however, her experience felt rushed, was not able to “look around much and we just had to take a bottle and go.”
In contrast, one TikTok user, who arrived an hour and a half earlier, had the opportunity to appreciate the shop’s whimsical, purple design — especially the Owala insulated mug chandelier.
The new tumbler is now available in all colors, without the line on owalalife.com.