Sprite has brought back its beloved seasonal staple this year with a creative holiday campaign that will be a slam dunk.
Limited-edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry and Sprite Zero Sugar Winter Spiced Cranberry infuse Sprite’s signature crisp, lemon-lime taste with a blend of warm spice and tart cranberry flavours for a bold, refreshingly unique and festive twist with every sip.
Sprite supported the fan-favourite LTO with fresh marketing featuring basketball star Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward returned to the Sprite spotlight as “Anta Claus” in a playful, modern-day remix of the classic holiday tale “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
The 60-second film featured “Anta Claus”, who subbed in for an injured Santa to deliver Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry to holiday gatherings just in time for “Sippin' Season,” swapping the sleigh for a flying, drop-top sportscar and reindeer for “eight tiny wolfdeer” (a nod to the Timberwolves).
Up-and-coming female rapper Monaleo narrated the story, staying true to Sprite’s hip-hop DNA.
“We hope to build on the momentum of AE’s meteoric rise—from his highlight-reel dunks throughout the Timberwolves’ historic run to being one of the youngest members of the Olympic Gold Medal-winning Dream Team, to starring in the hit Netflix series, “Starting Five”—with our first new holiday campaign in three years,” said A.P. Chaney, Senior Creative Director, Sparkling Flavors.
“The authenticity and unapologetic audaciousness of how he shows up on and off the court—the refreshing reality of who he is—truly embodies what it means to ‘Obey Your Thirst.’ We always aspire to team up with talent at the tipping point of culture, and in our effort to recruit a new generation of Sprite drinkers, we couldn't have found a better partner.”
Edwards first teamed up with Sprite for the 2022 “New Bottle, Same Sprite” spot, touting the brand’s switch from green to clear packaging. He also appeared in this year’s “Obey Your Thirst” reboot alongside the iconic 1994 campaign’s original star, basketball legend Grant Hill.
Illustrator and activist Eso Tolson created a custom font for this year’s Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry and Sprite Zero Sugar Winter Spiced Cranberry packaging, in-store merchandising and other campaign elements.
“We intentionally wanted to elevate every touch point of this campaign, starting with our packaging, to resonate with core consumers in a culturally relevant way,” said Brian Rogers, Senior Brand Director Sprite.
“Eso’s font projects personality, nuance, and familiarity with a tightly woven together look that reinforces the importance of connection during the holiday season.”
Since 2013, Sprite has signalled the start of the holiday season with a limited-edition offering. Launched initially as Sprite Cranberry, the flavour profile evolved in 2019 with the rollout of the slightly zestier Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry and its zero-sugar sidekick. The popular flavour has grown year-over-year and usually sells out due to high demand.
