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It doesn’t take an eagle eye to see there’s something amiss in the just-launched Zevia holiday campaign.
From the first frames, the 30-second spot proudly declares its AI-generated shenanigans in the form of Santa improbably traveling by drone, not sleigh, while other humanoid characters sprout multiple extra limbs and smile through twinkle-light teeth.
As a challenger brand in the fast-growing better-for-you soda category, Zevia is using its seasonal promo push to make an opportunistic move, leaning into the current AI controversy and trolling behemoth Coca-Cola along the way.
Note especially the polar bear and delivery truck in the video, references to Coke’s much-maligned 2024 campaign. Both get a satirical twist from Zevia, its creative agency Multi and artificial intelligence partner AdWaken.AI. See also: a creepy two-headed snowman.
Poking the (polar) bear
As it happens, Zevia had been planning to drop an AI-centric spot as a way to “celebrate realness in a world full of fake,” referring to both the product’s ingredient list and modern tech-laced advertising, according to Kirsten Suarez, the brand’s CMO.
The zero-calorie, stevia-sweetened soda “was already in production on an ad that used AI scenes as the foil to dramatize how artificiality can be weird and concerning.”
But the hubbub over Coke’s recent ad was too good to pass up, with Suarez saying the brand “quickly switched some of our AI scenes into a holiday parody.”
As its most significant end-of-year marketing to date, Zevia’s “Break from Artificial” takes advantage of the “fortuitous connection” to the Coke backlash and changes up its creative direction.
“This is the first time we have more directly compared ourselves to a traditional brand,” Suarez told ADWEEK, noting the “brand truth is that Zevia was created as an alternative to artificial soda by a founder who wanted a better choice.”
Modern soda momentum
Zevia, along with competitors like Olipop and Poppi, is part of the “modern soda” movement that is expected to reach $1 billion in sales this year, per Circana. The segment is the fastest growing in carbonated soft drinks, per Mintel, projected to jump 75% over a five-year span (between 2023 and 2028) beating out regular (27%) and diet sodas (33%).
The Los Angeles-based Zevia, an early entrant into the category in 2007, went through a major package and logo rebrand in early 2023. While emphasizing its plant-based roots, the new look intended to help the brand reach further into mainstream retail, beyond its starting points in specialty and natural food stores.