Jones Soda is a sparkling beverage company based in Seattle that was originally founded in British Columbia, Canada, in the late 20^th century. Until recently, the company mostly catered to the lucrative North American soda market, but in recent years it has been involved in testing international marketplaces in the United Kingdom, Bermuda, and Ireland. Costa Rica is the latest addition to the Jones Soda empire, and the marketing efforts have been very interesting.

Among North American connoisseurs of carbonated drinks, Jones Soda stands out for its ingenuous marketing and odd flavors. This is the soft drink company behind the quirky bacon-flavored soda as well as the turkey and gravy special flavor launched in honor of Thanksgiving Day 2003. In Costa Rica, Jones Soda is opting for more traditional flavors, including:

• Cream
• Green Apple
• Strawberry Lime
• Black Cherry
• Vanilla Bean
• Costa Rican Coffee

Jones Soda is also known for its unique marketing campaigns, and in Costa Rica they chose IL3 Design for a visual campaign entitled “Costa Rica es un ride,” which consists of photographs and labels for eight special editions of their soda bottles. For this campaign, IL3 Design set out on a trip across all seven provinces to capture the feeling and an appropriate scene. The graphic designers chose two scenes for the new Costa Rican Coffee flavor of Jones Soda: One set in an urban area of San Jose and the other in a rural area not too far from the city.

You can see all photos of the Jones Soda visual marketing campaign here, which include:

• Rollerskating in Puntarenas
• Relaxing on the beach in Guanacaste
• 4×4 off-road adventure in Alajuela
• Playing guitar in Heredia
• Taking a siesta in Limon
• Creative writing in Cartago
• Welcoming La Sele in San Jose

In Costa Rica, Jones Soda is available at select locations such as AMPM convenience stores. Other brands that have recently chosen places in Costa Rica to market their products include Heineken.