Sprite Campaign Celebrates Six Decades of Hip-Hop
The Coca-Cola Co.’s Sprite brand is connecting with consumers this summer through a shared passion: hip-hop music. The brand is inviting fans to join in on an ongoing conversation that celebrates the music’s history while taking a look back at some of its most impactful songs.
Sprite’s “Living Tracklist” campaign launched during Black Music Month in June. The effort got its name due to the brand uncovering the insight that consumers seek conversations surrounding the music.
“At its core, this is a curated collection of influential songs spanning six decades of hip-hop music,” Terika Fasakin, Sprite’s senior brand director, said in a media release. “But as we were building this, it really became more than just a list or a playlist. We’re calling it a Living Tracklist because it will continue to evolve. We want consumers to be a part of the discussion. We want to encourage debate and dialogue.”
Limited-edition collectible cans and bottles of both Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar hit stores earlier this month. Sprite partnered with illustrators for the program. “The six different decades all have a different look and feel, and we thought it was important to bring that all the way through to the packaging,” Fasakin said.
Each of the 26 different cans and bottles carries a QR code that consumers scan to visit a Genius-hosted microsite and enter a sweepstakes for signed Sprite-branded merchandise. The site also includes lyrics and contextual stories behind each track, insights into the song’s cultural impact, and behind-the-scenes videos.
The campaign also includes out-of-home, social media efforts to drive traffic. The limited-edition bottles will remain in stores through the end of August.
“Every package will take you into a digital world of music and hip-hop and allow you to experience the influence that these songs have had,” Fasakin said. A companion Spotify playlist offers the full 50-song Living Tracklist to stream.
Sprite partnered with Genius (formerly known as Rap Genius, a platform built to decode lyrics) to create a panel of hip-hop experts comprising radio personality Angie Martinez; media personality Scottie Beam; Complex host Speedy Morman; DJ and producer Nyla Symone; Genius executive and music journalist Rob Markman; Spotify’s head of hip-hop and R&B; Josh Peas; and cultural writer Frazier Tharpe. (See video below.)
Fasakin said the brand wants consumers to keep talking about the effort and engaging with the brand. “If you ask 10 hip-hop fans what their most influential song is, you’ll get 10 different answers,” she said. “And that happened in the process of us creating this campaign. What we saw is that when you invite the debate, when you invite consumers into the discussion.”
The launch was anchored by the BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 28. The annual celebration recognizes outstanding achievements in music, film, television, sports and culture, particularly highlighting Black entertainers and other minorities.
“I hope this campaign reminds consumers of this brand’s broader commitment to champion the artist and the artistry behind hip-hop,” Fasakin said. “Hip-hop is bigger than just music. Hip-hop has shaped language, it’s shaped fashion, it shapes sports, storytelling and community.”
Sprite has helped celebrate and shape hip-hop culture since 1986, first through its “Obey Your Thirst” campaign of the 1990s and then its “Obey Your Verse” efforts, which brought iconic rap lyrics to cans a decade ago.
