- Zevia is taking a swipe at rival Coca-Cola because the better-for-you soda brand ramps up its ad spending around the vacations, in line with a press release.
- A brand new industrial, “Break from Artificial,” shows uncanny images generated with artificial intelligence (AI) that not-so-subtly rib Coke’s recent AI-generated holiday campaign. Messaging draws a connection between artificially generated people and “artificial sodas.”
- The ad concludes with cans of Zevia getting cracked open by real actors, positioning the corporate as a healthier alternative. Zevia is spending more on ads across the 2024 holidays than any yr since its launch in 2007, chatting with renewed activity from soft drink upstarts.
Coke’s AI-generated holiday campaign caused a stir in the creative community — and provided a ripe goal for competitors. Zevia, which markets zero-sugar drinks sweetened with stevia, is linking the off-putting qualities many see in AI images with artificial ingredients in a shot across the bow on the soft drink category’s top dog.
The creative is a component of Zevia’s more aggressive promoting strategy across the Q4 period, where Coke has long dominated because of iconic marketing featuring Santa Claus, red delivery trucks and cute polar bears. Coke’s seasonal push this yr references nostalgic ads from its past, but with visuals generated with AI. The approach has received a negative response from some viewers, who’ve described the look of the videos as “soulless” and at odds with Coke’s larger “Real Magic” positioning.
“Artificial things could be convenient, but they can be concerning to people — from AI videos without the sensation of human connection to sodas with artificial ingredients,” said Zevia Chief Marketing Officer Kirsten Suarez in a press statement. “While our lighthearted parody ad goals to entertain in response to the increasing use of AI in marketing, we hope it starts a conversation about Zevia being an ideal alternative to artificial sodas.”
Zevia’s industrial takes the concept of the AI uncanny valley to the acute, with wavering clips of Santa flying around on drones, polar bears devouring presents and trucks plowing into snowmen — not to say a consumer with an additional limb chugging a bottle of brown liquid.
The company used AdWaken.AI for the AI-generated imagery while Multi Agency helped develop the creative. Earned media, paid social and connected TV factor into the campaign.
Zevia is the most recent better-for-you soda brand to step up brand awareness efforts to court consumers looking for healthier alternatives. Poppi made its Super Bowl debut in February while Olipop has also stayed lively on the messaging front with ads that similarly ding legacy soda brands.
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