Dive Brief:

• Zevia is taking a swipe at rival Coca-Cola as the better-for-you soda brand ramps up its ad spending around the holidays, according to a press release. 
• A new commercial, “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 company as a healthier alternative. Zevia is spending more on ads around the 2024 holidays than any year since its launch in 2007, speaking to renewed activity from soft drink upstarts.  

Dive Insight:

Coke’s AI-generated holiday campaign caused a stir in the creative community — and provided a ripe target 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 at the soft drink category’s top dog. 

The creative is part of Zevia’s more aggressive advertising strategy around the Q4 period, where Coke has long dominated thanks to iconic marketing featuring Santa Claus, red delivery trucks and cute polar bears. Coke’s seasonal push this year references nostalgic ads from its past, but with visuals generated with AI. The approach has received a negative response from some viewers, who have described the look of the videos as “soulless” and at odds with Coke’s larger “Real Magic” positioning.

“Artificial things can be convenient, but they can also be concerning to people — from AI videos without the feeling of human connection to sodas with artificial ingredients,” said Zevia Chief Marketing Officer Kirsten Suarez in a press statement. “While our lighthearted parody ad aims to entertain in response to the increasing use of AI in marketing, we hope it starts a conversation about Zevia being a great alternative to artificial sodas.”

Zevia’s commercial takes the concept of the AI uncanny valley to the extreme, with wavering clips of Santa flying around on drones, polar bears devouring presents and trucks plowing into snowmen — not to mention a consumer with an extra 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 latest better-for-you soda brand to step up brand awareness efforts to court consumers seeking healthier alternatives. Poppi made its Super Bowl debut in February while Olipop has also stayed active on the messaging front with ads that similarly ding legacy soda brands.