07 May 2025 Sprite now America’s no 3 soft drink
The lemon-lime beverage has surpassed Pepsi in sales volume…..
Sprite said “Obey Your Thirst.” America listened.
The beverage is now the nation’s third-favourite soft drink, surpassing Pepsi for the first time last year. Only Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper rank higher.
In terms of sales volume, Sprite has 8.03% of the US carbonated soft drink category, according to new 2024 figures from Beverage Digest. Pepsi has 7.97% of the market, while Coke has 19.2%
Sprite’s new fizz is largely due to Coca-Cola Co shaking up its marketing strategy and investing more in the brand, reports Adweek. In April last year, Sprite returned to its “Obey Your Thirst” tagline, originally coined in 1994 in a spot fronted by then-NBA star Grant Hill.
The 2024 version paid homage to Hill and the ethos of individuality presented in the iconic ad campaign. This time around, though, it was squared toward Gen Z. The ad puts NBA player Anthony Edwards and sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson — the brand’s first female athlete partner — front and centre.
The campaign spanned TV, packaging, sports sponsorships, and digital.
Josh Kroo, vp of sparkling flavours for the Coca-Cola Co, said the campaign has helped the brand index higher with Gen Z.
The relaunch was followed by Sprite’s first holiday push in three years, promoting its limited Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry flavour and sugar-free variation. The spot starred Edwards as “Anta Claus,” set to a hip-hop version of “Carol of The Bells,” and nodded to its legacy as the first mainstream brand to line up behind the musical genre.
“Sprite has always, over the years, constantly recruited the next generation, which is now Gen Z,” Kroo told Adweek.
Staying relevant
To stay relevant with younger drinkers and boost its market share, Sprite has funnelled its marketing dollars into other partnerships at the intersection of sports and culture, including becoming a founding sponsor of Unrivaled, a new women’s three-on-three basketball league.
“We’re continuing to push the boundaries and give back to the culture in a way that we think resonates with younger audiences,” he said.
Duane Stanford, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, said Sprite has benefited from creative innovation and marketing itself as a way of life, rather than simply positioning itself as a superior lemon-lime soda.
Sprite is rethinking its media mix, too. The brand is engaging basketball fans and flavour-hackers (creators who toy with unexpected food and drink combinations) on TikTok, while continuing to invest in big TV tentpole moments, such as ESPN’s NBA Christmas games.
Product innovation has also helped the brand take a bigger swig of the soda market.
Sprite Chill, which claims to offer a unique cooling sensation, debuted for a 13-week limited run last year. The drink is now a permanent fixture in Coca-Cola’s line-up, and was the top-selling innovation in North America in 2024.
Kroo revealed Sprite Chill has sold $100-million in the past 12 months. The drink has also become a springboard for further innovation, including cherry lime and strawberry kiwi flavours.
“It’s resonating and recruiting new consumers into the brand,” said Kroo. “It’s not just another flavour; it’s an experience.”
Kroo added that the Coca-Cola Co plans to invest more in Sprite, underscoring a “recognition of the role Sprite can play” in the business’s long-term growth ambitions across its portfolio.
Sprite is certainly doing something right in recent years to connect with consumers beyond merely investing more in media than its rivals.
When compared to Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, and Pepsi, Sprite is the smallest advertiser, according to data from marketing intelligence company MediaRadar. Although Sprite is now pouring more dollars into the brand, it was the only beverage among the other category leaders to lower its ad spend in 2024 compared to 2023, decreasing it from an estimated $24-million to $22-million.
Overall, the carbonated soft drink category spent $1.1-billion on advertising in 2024, up 13% compared to 2023.
Adweek: Read the full article here