Betty Buzz Taps Expert Witness in Parody of Celebrity Trial

The marketing around Betty Buzz has made it clear that its effervescence is one of the most important selling points of the line of alcohol-free drink mixers.

Founder and architect Blake Lively appeared in the brand’s debut ad in 2022, while Don Ho’s classic tune “Tiny Bubbles” provided the soundtrack. The set, along with actor-entrepreneur Lively, was awash in a sea of bubbles for a spot with an on-the-nose tagline: “Betty Buzz Does Bubbles.”

But what if it’s time to quantify the carbonation? Maybe consumers would like to hear from an impartial third party to back up the brand’s claims?

Or more to the point of a just-launched spot, what if Lively and her agency, husband Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort, want to parody the recent Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial and extend a new Internet star’s 15 minutes of fame?

There’s no real science involved in the new campaign, but there is an appearance by Irving Scher, a low-key but high-impact witness in the recent legal battle between Paltrow and a retired optometrist.

Take it from a ‘fizzicist’

Scher, a biomechanical engineer, is identified as a “fizzicist” in the 40-second court-themed commercial narrated by Lively and dubbed “Dr. Scher’s Expert Taste-imony.” 

Using his now-familiar stick figure drawings on a white board, Scher walks viewers through some rudimentary beverage sipping.

“See, when you look at a person drinking Betty Buzz Meyer lemon sodas, they have a smile on their face,” he says in the video while drawing arrows and facial expressions. “And they think, ‘Wow, so bubbly.’”

Never breaking character, and keeping his expert game face on, Scher continues: “Another person drinks sparkling grapefruit buzz and says out, ‘Mmm, Betty Buzz tastes great.’ And of course, in both cases, the Betty Buzz does down into their stomachs here, which is consistent with the laws of physics and Newton’s laws.”

Trial fans will find several Easter eggs in the spot, where Lively’s voiceover declares, “Case closed! Betty Buzz is probably scientifically the best sparkling beverage in the world.”

The campaign drops as the fast-growing Betty Buzz has expanded its distribution to some 8,500 stores from BevMo and Total Wine to Kroger and Albertsons, among others. 

The brand, which premiered in 2021 initially with a direct-to-consumer model, sold 5 million bottles in its first full year. This winter, Lively made the first national restaurant deal for Betty Buzz via a partnership with the Yard House chain. Its sparkling grapefruit drink will be used for handcrafted Palomas at 85 locations.