After a successful launch in 2024, Sprite Chill will become a permanent addition to the Coca-Cola brand’s portfolio, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. Debuting last April, the soft drink boasts a cherry-lime flavor and a proprietary cooling sensation. It was marketed around consumer passion points like basketball, a strategy that the numbers show resonated with consumers. In 2025, the brand will get a more expansive marketing outreach.
Originally a limited-time offering, Sprite Chill was the top selling Coca-Cola innovation in North America in 2024, delivering $50 million in retail sales after only 21 weeks in the market, per the company’s Q3 2024 earnings report. In one 13-week span, it boosted the number of Sprite purchases by regular Sprite buyers by 4.4% and achieved 88% of the total sales in the same period of Starry — the lemon-lime soda PepsiCo introduced in 2023.
“[Chill] grew Sprite trademark household penetration, which is amazing in a mature category. It recruited consumers into the trademark, which is unbelievable and a standard we always want to achieve with innovation,” said Kate Schaufelberger, brand director for Sprite at The Coca-Cola Company.
With those figures in mind, bringing the Chill product into the permanent portfolio — alongside a limited-time, Walmart-exclusive strawberry kiwi flavor — was a “no-brainer,” explained the executive.
Beyond just sales, Sprite Chill and its surrounding marketing platform garnered more than 1 billion media impressions with 98% positive sentiment and exceeded typical engagement levels by seven-times, per details shared by the brand.
“We not only achieved business results, but put something out in the market that consumers really, really responded to,” Schaufelberger said.
Consumers at their ‘coldest’
The initial launch of Sprite Chill was accompanied by a humorous campaign starring Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, a.k.a “Ice Trae,” and played with the colloquial use of the word “cold” that nods to peak performance. Young will again be part of Sprite Chill’s strategy, which shares a similar approach to sports marketing as the overall Sprite brand. Sprite last year brought back its iconic “Obey Your Thirst” slogan and has run several marketing plays with Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
That synergy is intentional, especially as a beverage that embraces consumers acting their “coldest” aligns with the ethos of Sprite.
“They fit together very nicely and ultimately speak to us showing up in passion points with various tactics and various ways into the trademark,” Schaufelberger said.
In year two, Sprite Chill is expanding those passion points to include a partnership with Black House Radio, a YouTube show and event series focused on Black DJs who play house music. The brand will also work to build brand awareness by updating its visual identity and is considering taking the brand global.
“That's going to be a great next chapter in international markets where Sprite is ripe for growth,” Schaufelberger said. “There's ample opportunity to bring this experience and product there.”
