The Hustle Daily Show Soda wars: How Sprite beat out Pepsi
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May 8, 2025 Sprite recently surged past Pepsi to become America's third favorite soda, utilizing clever marketing and cultural connections to hip hop and basketball. Their iconic 'Obey Your Thirst' campaign and innovative flavors, like the newly launched Sprite Chill, have brought refreshingly unique experiences to consumers. Meanwhile, the competitive rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi intensifies with viral drink hacks making waves. The discussions also touch on Disney's new theme park and the impact of AI on tech companies.
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Shift in Soda Rankings
- Sprite overtook Pepsi as the number three soda in the US, pushing Pepsi to fourth place.
- Dr. Pepper holds second place, showing the soda landscape has shifted with Pepsi losing ground.
Sprite's Winning Marketing Strategy
- Sprite's success is tied to culturally relevant marketing, especially with basketball and hip hop.
- Pepsi's marketing efforts have faltered, contrasting with Sprite's consistent appeal.
Pepsi's Notorious Ad Fail
- Jon Weigell worked at an ad agency when Pepsi released the controversial Kendall Jenner ad.
- The ad was widely panned and is remembered as a marketing failure.