In a category saturated with sugary sodas and artificial energy drinks, Saint James Iced Tea brought something refreshingly different to college campuses: iced tea as it should be — organic, clean, and sustainably packaged.

To make a splash with Gen Z, Saint James partnered with Home From College to launch a bold sampling and ambassador campaign that drove real product trial, digital content, and brand awareness.

🍃 The Strategy: Authentic Sampling with Real Student Voices

Saint James’ goal was to connect with college students where they are — on the quad, in Greek life, and all over social media. The brand’s collaboration with H\FC allowed them to build a student-led ambassador program that emphasized peer-to-peer influence, community engagement, and impactful content creation.

Through the Saint James’ “Saints” program, H\FC recruited a team of 10 brand ambassadors to:

Lead iced tea sampling events on their campuses
Collaborate with student orgs and Greek life to expand reach
Share first-hand impressions via social media content
Drive traffic to Saint James’ Amazon storefront using custom links

📦 The Results: Sampling at Scale, Content with Credibility

The campaign delivered impressive results that drove both digital engagement and real-world trial:

🧊 1,525 cases donated
☕ 18,300 bottles sampled
📱 160+ pieces of social content
🛒 650+ direct click-throughs to Amazon product listings

🔑 Key Moments That Drove Buzz

🎉 Sorority Sampling Events: Ambassadors hosted pop-up tastings during sorority recruitment and campus welcome weeks, handing out bottles and sparking conversation around Saint James’ flavor lineup.

📲 Amazon Affiliate Push: Each ambassador promoted a custom Amazon link, allowing the brand to track ROI from student-led awareness to actual product consideration and conversion.

📸 Social-First Storytelling: From iced tea dorm fridges to Sunday self-care resets, creators highlighted Saint James as a go-to hydration staple in their daily routines.

😎 Keeping Ambassadors Motivated

📈 Top Saints: High performing brand ambassadors are invited back to the program where they can continue to grow with brand each semester and gain more experience.

💰 Bonuses: Incorporated challenges and competitions for ambassadors each month, rewarding top performers with bonuses, swag and more.

☀️ A New Standard in Beverage Sampling for Gen Z

Saint James’ mission — “iced tea as it should be” — resonated with students looking for better-for-you options with clean ingredients and eco-conscious packaging. Through Home From College’s deeply embedded student network, the brand turned bottles into buzz and created the kind of organic attention that no digital ad spend alone could replicate.

👀Looking to sample your product with Gen Z or activate college brand ambassadors nationwide? Let’s make it happen.

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University of Oregon

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