Dive Brief:
- Sprite is seeking to connect with consumers during the hottest moments this summer using data and contextual targeting, according to news shared with Marketing Dive.
- A new global campaign, “Turn Up Refreshment,” features out-of-home (OOH) ads that analyze factors like location and ambient temperature to serve up messages when passersby are most in need of cold refreshment. Spots carry the same theme as people struggle with scalding car seats and sand before reaching for a Sprite for a reprieve.
- Additional elements include beach experiences, on-pack promotions and celebrity ambassador partnerships. Sprite is looking to extend its momentum globally after rising to become the No. 3 soft drink in its home market of the U.S.
Dive Insight:
Summers are only getting warmer, but a degree of discomfort for consumers could be an opportunity for Sprite to fortify a brand positioning around chilled refreshment. The lemon-lime flavored soda is striving for increased relevance this season, leveraging a mix of location, weather and other contextual data to deploy ads when and where people are feeling the heat. Strategic OOH media placements featured in “Turn Up Refreshment” are complemented by ads that depict actors grappling with the downsides of scorching temperatures.
In one spot, “Bum Burn,” a man tries to enter an uncovered car that has been baking in over 100 degree Fahrenheit weather before the scalding leather driver’s seat forces him to give up and go grab a Sprite instead. Another ad, “Hot Sand,” shows a similar scenario as a sweaty beachgoer gingerly steps across the sand to a convenience store, where she heads straight for the Sprite aisle. Both videos are soundtracked by rising star rapper and growing brand favorite Doechii’s song “Boiled Peanuts.”
Sprite is factoring other celebrities into the mix, teaming with Chinese multihyphenate talent JC-T and Karina, of the K-pop band Aespa, as global ambassadors. Karina will create exclusive digital content and creative elements for OOH ads as part of the partnership.
In regions such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Brazil, the Coca-Cola-owned soft drink will run beachside activations, including live music and brand experiences. On-pack promotions offer the chance to score VIP packages to festivals such as Waterbomb in South Korea, as well as merchandise and voucher codes.
The seasonal marketing push aimed at international audiences was developed by WPP Open X, a bespoke agency unit for The Coca-Cola Company, with the initiative spearheaded by Ogilvy and supported by VML, Essence Mediacom, Subvrsive and Ultralight Studio. It arrives just days after sister brand Coke launched its summer campaign in North America with ads featuring the Grammy-winning artist Tyla. Coke’s “Enjoy the moment with a Coca-Cola” encourages Gen Z consumers to unplug from digital distractions to enjoy in-person experiences.
Sprite earlier this year surpassed Pepsi to become the No. 3 carbonated soft drink by volume in the U.S., according to Beverage Digest data. A major focus for the brand in its home market has been the revival of its iconic “Obey Your Thirst” platform and accompanying work with star athletes such as NBA player Anthony Edwards and Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
