Viral TikTok Trend Inspires New Sprite Drink, Campaign
The Coca-Cola Co. has officially launched Sprite + Tea, a limited-time beverage inspired by a 2023 user-generated trend on social media in which consumers steeped tea bags in Sprite.
The drink is part of the brand’s ongoing “Sprite Squad” campaign — a gamified platform that ties product purchases to monthly exclusive content designed to resonate with Gen Z culture and interests. For this launch’s cultural tie-in, Coca-Cola partnered with Eastside Golf, a non-traditional golf brand that makes apparel and accessories.
Creating Sprite + Tea
The concept originated from a viral TikTok post by Malaysian creator Hisham Raus, which garnered millions of views and sparked widespread taste-test videos, and notably caught Coca-Cola’s eye.
“The Sprite + Tea concept started out as an intern research project,” A.P. Chaney, senior creative director, sparkling flavors North America, said in a media release. “When it blew up on TikTok, it was a gut check that we were on the right track. Because you never go wrong when you listen to consumers and tap into what they're doing by becoming part of their everyday [life].”
Coca-Cola’s North American research and development team conducted multiple rounds of consumer testing to finalize the formula for the amber-colored sparkling beverage, which hit shelves on May 19 across the U.S. and Canada and will be available through October.
“We’re always listening to our consumers, but this particular phenomenon motivated us to explore how we could offer our own refreshing take on tea,” added Kate Schaufelberger, brand director, Sprite North America. “Sprite fans love variety, not just in flavor but in the ways we bring refreshment to life through unique multisensorial experiences that stay true to the essence of the brand.”
The product’s packaging fuses Sprite’s iconic green with gold and amber hues, splash graphics and a youthful font that Coca-Cola says is “atypical” for ready-to-drink tea brands.
Chaney likened the launch’s origin story to another fan-favorite hybrid: Sprite Lymonade, which was inspired by consumers mixing Sprite with lemonade.
Sprite + Tea Campaign, Cultural Tie-In
To hype up the product launch, Sprite teamed with Eastside Golf for a campaign titled “A Refreshing Take on Tea.” The lifestyle brand’s co-founders, Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, appear in a campaign ad called “The Fix” alongside rapper/singer Monaleo.
Consumers can scan any Sprite product to access the Sprite Squad digital hub, which debuted in April, for exclusive content from Eastside Golf and other rewards.
"Sprite + Tea is bringing something fresh to the golf course that challenges tradition, just like we do at Eastside Golf,” Ajanaku said in the release. “This drink is stepping in where traditional golf beverages have been for decades. It’s time to try something new on the golf course – whether that’s what you’re wearing or what you’re drinking. We enjoyed working on this campaign with Sprite, which recognizes the cultural shift happening in golf and wants to celebrate our game in the same authentic way that we do."
A second ad spot and supporting outdoor and digital/social creative promote the beverage as “not your granny’s tea.”
Schaufelberger said the team hopes Sprite + Tea will become a year-over-year seasonal offering like the brand’s holiday favorite Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry.
“I love innovations because we can take bigger swings with our marketing,” added Chaney.
