Sprite on Monday (July 28) launched the latest iteration of its revamped “Obey Your Thirst” campaign with creative that features Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
While it wasn’t the brand’s original intention to tap its first NFL athlete partner, Hurts — a Pro Bowl talent and the MVP of Super Bowl LIX — represented a “touchdown” for Sprite, said A.P. Chaney, senior creative director of sparkling flavors at Coca-Cola North America.
“Jalen is just a force in authenticity and who he is and his character and how he shows up,” Chaney said. “Sprite and Jalen are both very intentional in how we want to be perceived and how we go out into the world.”
Hurts stars in a 30-second spot, “Success Hurts,” where he is hounded by a reporter named Thirsten A. Sip with inane, irrelevant questions (“More ice in your veins or more ice in your chains?”) at a press conference, on the red carpet, at a restaurant and beyond. As he does on the field, Hurts stays cool and collected, closing with a variation of the “Obey Your Thirst” tagline: “If you want to let your game do the talking, say less. If you want a refreshing drink, Sprite.”
“Success Hurts” was developed by Majority and supported by WPP Open X, including Ogilvy New York and VML, alongside Publicis Groupe. The campaign will run on linear TV, social media, online video channels and streaming platforms, with more content featuring the quarterback as part of a multiyear partnership.
“We identified a lot of similarities between Jalen and Sprite’s core values that we felt could align for many years to come,” said Joe D’Amelio, senior vice president of sports marketing at Klutch Sports, Hurts’ sports agency. “He’s always blocking out the noise. He doesn’t chase trends. He just lets his work speak for itself on the field and even off the field … Sprite was really the perfect partner for him.”
Authenticity in all forms
Sprite last year revived its iconic “Obey Your Thirst” tagline, first introduced in the ‘90s, with a campaign featuring NBA star Anthony Edwards and Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson. Edwards has been a frequent ambassador for the brand, but his brash, in-your-face style contrasts with that of the soft-spoken, reserved Hurts. For Sprite, the two represent a yin and yang.
“Authenticity isn’t a monolith, right? How people show their confidence or who they are can be very different,” Chaney said. “It’s only a plus for our consumers to see that there’s no wrong way in how to show up as long as you’re yourself.”
The way Hurts expresses his authenticity is an undercurrent of the spot, which nods to the micro- and macro-aggression Black and brown people — particularly athletes and cultural figures — face in the U.S. Sprite, from its longstanding bona fides in the hip-hop community to more recent partnerships with Black House Radio and upstart brand Eastside Golf, has always looked to speak to and with diverse communities.
“We use our satirical charm and levity, but at the same time, we’re really talking about the heightened scrutiny and consistent questioning around people of color, even if they are at the top of their game,” Chaney explained. “Jalen is just the catalyst and the icon that really brings to life the resilience of our audience, because Black and brown consumers who regularly show up in the spaces question their belonging, despite their excellence.”
Along with being a pun on the name of the brand’s newest ambassador, “Success Hurts” could double as a nod to the heights Sprite has reached since relaunching “Obey Your Thirst.” The lemon-lime soda earlier this year surpassed Pepsi to become the No. 3 carbonated soft drink by volume in the U.S, per Beverage Digest data. To do so, Sprite has ramped up product innovations and global campaigns focused on spicy food pairings and hot temperatures. The latter topic was recently iterated on by Starry, a PepsiCo rival.
“Our competitors can do whatever they feel like they need to do in the space, because our first priority will always be the hearts and minds of our consumers,” Chaney said. “One of the things that Sprite has done that a lot of our competitors haven’t done is just remain consistent … That is part of Sprite’s DNA.”
