17410: The New Sprite Platform Is Not Fresh.

 

Advertising Age spotlighted Sprite’s new identity and pseudo culture-first platform: It’s That Fresh.

 

Yo, that’s anything but fresh.

 

For starters, fresh is an old-school term, arguably outdated for the youth audience targeted by the brand.

 

How did the word even gain legal approval? The FDA has guidelines for products to be labeled fresh. Sprite bottles and cans do not include freshness dates.

 

Sprite has embraced hip-hop culture for decades, and the refresh recruited rappers and music artists to deliver authenticity. Yet the agencies and enterprises Ad Age identified as responsible for the work appear to be predominately White—and lame to boot.

 

The scenario demonstrates how White advertising agencies and brands love hip hop—and use cultural appropriation as a marketing ploy.

 

Somebody should ask Will Smith to recreate The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air role and slap everyone behind the new Sprite platform.

Sprite unveils new identity and culture-first ‘It’s That Fresh’ platform

 

By Tim Nudd

 

Sprite is hitting refresh with a new global platform that turns up the flavor of culture.

 

The Coca-Cola-owned soda’s new “It’s That Fresh” effort brings its branding, partnerships and product pipeline under one umbrella across 180 markets. The push centers on culture, with a focus on music, streetwear, basketball and food trends that shape younger audiences. The campaign acts as a reset of sorts, aligning everything from visuals to collabs into a single global system.

 

At the core of the effort is a refreshed brand identity, updating Sprite’s look and feel across packaging and communications. The redesign revives the brand’s lemon-lime iconography and pairs it with a bolder wordmark. Also, cans now feature a vertical logo treatment. Alongside the visual overhaul, Sprite is introducing a new sonic identity developed with producer Mustard, designed to carry across ads, digital content and brand experiences.

 

Music plays a major role in the rollout. U.K. rapper LeoStayTrill is among the artists contributing original work tied to the platform, using a custom Sprite-branded instrument loaded with sounds inspired by the product. The move extends Sprite’s long-running association with emerging artists, positioning the campaign as both a branding effort and a content engine for social and streaming.

 

Coca-Cola’s internal design team worked with the agency forpeople on the new identity. Other agencies who worked on this campaign include WPP Open X, Zeno Group, Tuney and Ear Candy.

 

The brand is also expanding its footprint in street culture through a collab with Crenshaw Skate Club, a Los Angeles-based collective known for its crossover between skateboarding and fashion. The partnership is expected to include limited-edition drops and experiences throughout the year, adding a retail and experiential layer to the work while connecting Sprite to grassroots creative communities.

 

“Today’s generation isn’t looking to be told what’s cool—they’re defining it for themselves,” said Oana Vlad, VP of Sprite global brand. “‘It’s That Fresh’ is Sprite meeting them where they are, spotlighting the freshest takes across culture and the people who aren’t afraid to play by their own rules.”

 

Food is another pillar, with Sprite continuing its “Hurts Real Good” effort focused on spicy flavors. Partnerships with Takis, Tabasco and McDonald’s will include social activations, live events and co-branded offerings, tying the drink to late-night eating and bold flavor profiles. The campaign positions Sprite as a go-to pairing for heat-heavy dishes, a trend that has gained traction among younger consumers.

 

On the product side, the platform is backed by global expansion plans for Sprite Chill and Sprite+Tea, two newer offerings that reflect shifting tastes and online-driven experimentation. Sprite Chill introduces a cooling sensation layered onto the classic lemon-lime profile, while Sprite+Tea builds on a viral trend of mixing soda with tea. Both lines are expected to roll out in multiple flavors and formats depending on the market.

 

The campaign kicks off with an event in London called Sprite FreshFest, featuring performances, product showcases and brand-led experiences across music, fashion and food. From there, the platform will expand globally through the summer, with localized activations both online and in person.

16302: 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, Infinite Years Of Hijacking Culture For Branding.

 

Sprite celebrating 50 years of hip-hop sorta makes sense. But Ford too?

 

Then again, it just underscores how White advertising agencies and brands love hip-hop.

 

 

14068: Hip Hop? Please Stop.

Adweek spotlighted Chase Zreet, a copywriter from Dallas who landed a job with Wieden + Kennedy by communicating his obsession to write for Sprite via a homemade rap video. Sprite has a long history tied to hip hop, ignited by campaigns birthed at Burrell. The work from the Black advertising agency was authentic and original. In contrast, Zreet’s brainchild is a contrived piece of shit. But it was good enough to earn him a position at the White advertising agency. Now that’s fucked up.

13287: When Irish Eyes Are Not Smiling.

Advertising Age reported Sprite pulled an Irish campaign for being offensively sexist. Hey, cultural cluelessness is a global phenomenon. On a semi-culturally related note, what the hell inspired these offensively awful commercials for Lucky Charms featuring a live Lucky character who comes off like a deviate sex offender? Faith and Begorrah!

Coca-Cola Pulls Offensive Sprite Ad in Ireland

#BrutallyRefreshing Campaign Turns Out To Be #BrutallySexist

By Emma Hall

Coca-Cola Co. has apologized for a blatantly sexist Sprite online ad that ran on Irish men’s lifestyle site JOE.ie as part of the soft drink’s irreverent #BrutallyRefreshing campaign.

Lines such as “She’s seen more ceilings than Michelangelo,” “You’re not popular, you’re easy” and “A 2 at 10 is a 10 at 2!” shocked consumers, who took to social media to vent their anger.

Cristiana De Lia tweeted “Seriously @Sprite? Need to revise your internal policies. This ain’t #BrutallyRefreshing but only #BrutallyOffensive.”

Coca-Cola said in a statement: “We’re sorry for any offense caused by the #BrutallyRefreshing Sprite campaign in Ireland, which was intended to provide an edgy but humorous take on a range of situations. Since its introduction in Ireland, Sprite has been associated with individuality and self-expression and we have always been committed to ensuring we deliver the highest standard of advertising.”

“We recognize that on this particular occasion the content did not meet this standard and we apologize. The campaign has now come to an end and the advert in question will not appear again.”

The campaign asked consumers to share their “refreshing truths” using the hashtag #BrutallyRefreshing.

Coca-Cola and Thinkhouse, an Irish youth marketing agency that works for Sprite and other Coca-Cola brands, did not respond to inquiries about whether Thinkhouse was responsible for the work. A press release about an earlier part of the #BrutallyRefreshing campaign involving Irish Snapchat stars cited Thinkhouse.

That previous installment featured two Snapchat stars in an online video discussing “refreshing truths” such as, “We all have one tight friend,” “One dip is never enough” and, “If you have to give your taxi driver directions you’re better off walking.”

At the time of the ad’s launch, Sprite brand manager Georgina Kendrick said in a statement: “At Sprite, we share the same belief that honesty is the best weapon, and we’re delighted to celebrate the brutally refreshing truth – and hear what our fans come up with.”

Sexism in the ad industry has made headlines all week. Saatchi & Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts resigned on Wednesday morning after controversial comments on gender diversity in the ad industry. Meanwhile Gap in the U.K. apologized for an ad that portrayed little girls as social butterflies and little boys as budding Einsteins.

11423: Sprite Goes Non-White.

Sprite Parts Ways With Leo Burnett, Taps Translation for New Campaign

Fickle Soda Brand has Worked with Several Agencies in Recent Years

By Natalie Zmuda, Rupal Parekh

Less than 18 months ago Coca-Cola entrusted Publicis Groupe’s Leo Burnett with creative duties for its Sprite brand—and the launch of a major North American ad campaign—but now the marketer has changed agency partners again.

In Leo Burnett’s place, independent shop Translation Advertising has been tapped to handle marketing for the lemon-lime soda, executives familiar with the matter say.

Both agencies declined to comment, but a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola acknowledged the break with Leo Burnett and the relationship with Translation. She also noted that WPP-backed Johannes Leonardo continues to handle global work. “Sprite has worked with Translation across multiple campaigns for a number of years now,” said Kerry Tressler, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman. “I can confirm that they are currently on point for some new work, but don’t have any details I can share at this point. ...We do not have any current projects with Leo Burnett.”

Tying brands closely to music, celebrities and athletes is Translation’s sweet spot. And Sprite has long associated itself with basketball, adding music and film to the mix in recent years. The brand has a long-running relationship with Lebron James, for example, utilizing the player alongside Miles Thirst, an African-American poet-philosopher action figure back in 2004. Mr. James was also involved in the “Uncontainable Game” effort, serving as a coach alongside Kobe Bryant.

Multiple Agencies, Ad Approaches

The brand’s spending has been erratic, and it’s focus muddled in recent years. Sprite’s also been fickle when it comes to agency partners.

It’s not a big ad spender. The soda brand’s measured media spend has ranged from $7 million to $17 million in the last five years, according to Kantar Media. In 2010, the year Sprite spent $17 million, its volume grew 2%, according to Beverage Digest. Last year volume fell 1%, as spend declined to $10 million. It controls 5.7% of the carbonated soft drink market and is the largest player in the lemon-lime category, which also includes Sierra Mist and 7Up.

In the last several years, Sprite has worked with multiple agencies—BBH, Johannes Leonardo, Leo Burnett and Turner Duckworth, among them. With thos shops have also come a number of advertising taglines, including “Obey Your Thirst”, “The Spark”, “Uncontainable Game” and “There’s Nothing Soft About It.”

That last tagline was introduced by Leo Burnett a year ago as part of an effort to emphasize the “intense” experience that comes with drinking the beverage. The accompanying campaign—the first and last major work from the shop—highlighted the experience of drinking a Sprite, something execs admitted had been missing from previous advertising.

“We’ve never linked [the product experience] as overtly as we have now,” said Kevin Keith, group director-integrated marketing content at Coca-Cola, at the time. “Most brands go to a lifestyle brand without connection to the product experience. We’re trying to link to the product experience more sharply.”

9469: The Hard Facts On Soft Drinks.

The New York Daily News reported that soft drink companies are targeting marketing efforts towards minority kids. Can’t help but wonder how much of the advertising is being created by White agencies.

Soft drink makers like Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple Group target black and Hispanic teens, children: report

Big brands are capitalizing on minority youth to be their biggest buyers with multimedia campaigns in addition to traditional print, TV ads

By Joyce Chen, New York Daily News

A new study reveals truths about soft-drink manufacturers’ marketing tactics that are anything but sweet.

A recent Yale study released Monday found that soft-drink makers are targeting black and Hispanic children and teenagers in their U.S. ad campaigns.

According to the report, released by the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, black kids and teens watched 80% to 90% more ads than white children.

Hispanic teens were exposed to 99% more ads than their white counterparts.

“Our children are being assaulted by these drinks that are high in sugar and low in nutrition,” said Kelly Brownell, co-author of the report. “The companies are marketing them in highly aggressive ways.”

Coca-Cola is the parent company for popular soft drinks like Sprite and Fanta, as well as for energy drinks and juices like Odwalla and Fuze energy drink.

A big part of the increased number of thirsty viewers can be attributed to the move toward online interaction, Brownell said.

Coca-Cola, by far the most popular brand on Facebook, has more than 30 million fans, and website MyCokeRewards.com draws in millions of clicks each day.

9170: Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting. Again.

MultiCultClassics recently noted that Mountain Mtn Dew is using hip hop to mimic Sprite. This skateboarder video is another example of wannabe marketing. The kung fu movie imagery has been done before—by Sprite—over ten years ago. And five years ago too. Oh, the skateboarding is not very cool either.