Sony Mobile is showing off the waterproof capabilities of its latest phone, the Sony Xperia Z, with an experiential activation in the Sony store at Toronto’s Eaton Centre.

Targeting adults aged 18 to 35, the brand has set up a shower stall in the store and has actors on-site to shower while they use the phone. Passersby are invited to tweet about the activation using the hashtag #Justaddwater, for a chance to win their own Xperia Z.

The activation, which is part of a broader product launch campaign, began yesterday and will run until 3 p.m. today.

The launch campaign kicked off with a social initiative, leveraging Instagram and the hashtag #Justaddwater to drive pre-registration and build buzz and conversation around the launch of the phone.

With media by Media Experts and creative by Bell’s creative team (Bell is the exclusive carrier of the phone), the launch campaign will include heavy TV and digital buys, as well as OOH focused on the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal markets.

Farhad Esmail, director of marketing, Sony Mobile Communications Canada, tells MiC that the campaign was based, in part, on a survey Sony conducted, which suggested that up to 40% of Canadians have experienced issues with water damage to their phones.

He says the focus on the Xperia Z’s waterproof capability was a way to differentiate the phone in a marketplace where most manufacturers have been focused primarily on screen size and cameras for the past few years.

The product launch campaign will run for six weeks.