In this marketing roundup, MTN DEW Flamin’ Hot makes a fiery return and is named the official drink of Hell (Michigan), C4 Energy teams up with Kevin Hart, Gatorade scores with top athletes Damian Lillard and Ryan Garcia and Ripple encourages consumers to “Moove Over” to its plant-based milk. Plus, GNGR Labs debuts its first TV commercial and Pure Leaf launches its lower-sugar teas with a reimagined tune.
MTN DEW is going to Hell… Hell, Michigan, of course.
Citing “overwhelming demand” from consumers, the PepsiCo-owned citrus soda brand is relaunching its limited edition MTN DEW Flamin’ Hot flavor, which originally debuted last year as an ecommerce exclusive, in retail stores nationwide. To support the rollout, the spicy sparkling drink has been named the Official Drink of Hell, Michigan and will host a one night event this weekend called To Hell with MTN DEW FLAMIN’ HOT in the curiously named community.
The one night festival will see the brand take over the local mini-golf course on Patterson Lake Road, featuring music from DJ Pauly D and a Flamin’ Hot-inspired four-course meal prepared by chef and rapper Action Bronson. General admission to the event is free, and attendees can also purchase MTN DEW Flamin’ Hot cocktails.
Located in Putnam Township, the unincorporated community of Hell, Michigan has embraced its quirky identity since it was officially named in 1841. According to MTN DEW CMO Pat O’Toole, the community had hosted PR events for brands in the past and town officials were open to working with PepsiCo on the launch party.
“We’ve done a Flamin’ Hot spot restaurant on the Cheetos brand in the past, we’ve done some takeovers of different festivals, but we thought, gosh, if we can go to Hell and have a really great, fun program was an amazing way to get the MTN DEW Flamin’ Hot brand out there,” he said. “So that’s kind of how it came to light.”
While MTN DEW has long been a platform for colorful flavor innovations, O’Toole said Flamin’ Hot made a significant impact with consumers when it launched last August.
The brand opened its ecommerce platform in late 2020 and had previously used it to pilot other limited time experimental flavors such as the birthday cake flavored “Cake Smash.” Noting that MTN DEW’s consumers are “eager to try everything we put out there,” O’Toole said that Flamin’ Hot sold out online in “a matter of minutes,” but in a twist the company found that the drink was resonating beyond the brand’s core base, also drawing in spicy food aficionados and fans of Cheetos and other PepsiCo snack brands that feature Flamin’ Hot flavors.
“Flamin’ Hot is an amazingly large brand for the snack side of our business, and the consumer base is a bit different than the MTN DEW consumer base,” O’Toole said. “So what it’s also doing is giving people who might not drink MTN DEW regularly a reason to try it and hopefully they fall in love with our brand like our DEW Nation consumer does.”
The company reformulated the flavor based on consumer feedback, increasing the amount of lime flavoring to bring the soda closer to the taste profile of a margarita, O’Toole added. While the relaunch is also a limited run, MTN DEW Flamin’ Hot will be available nationwide in major retailers and convenience stores in 20 oz. bottles and 12 oz. cans.
The relaunch also reflects a broader trend among CSD brands to embrace limited edition “funky” flavors as a means of driving consumer engagement. Earlier this year, The Coca-Cola Company launched its Coca-Cola Creations platform for esoteric mystery flavor launches such as “space flavored” Starlight and the upcoming “pixel flavored” Byte, and last year craft beverage brand Jones Soda relaunched its infamous Turkey & Gravy flavored soda as a fall seasonal. PepsiCo has itself leaned into the trend, introducing co-branded products such as Peeps and IHOP Maple Syrup flavored Pepsi, available only through promotional giveaways, as well texture-based innovations like Nitro Pepsi which launched nationwide this year.
After years of declining sales as consumers sought out more natural and lower sugar beverages, O’Toole noted that soda LTOs have helped attract younger consumers to the space. As well, in the case of MTN DEW Flamin’ Hot, the drink drove strong organic social engagement through platforms like TikTok and Instagram where consumers posted reviews of the beverage.
“What [the limited edition flavor trend is] doing is it’s exciting and engaging consumers with different taste profiles and evolving taste profiles,” he said. “It’s a smart way for us to get consumers to give soft drinks a try if they aren’t in the category and it also gives the soft drink lovers something new and different to try.”
C4 Energy Gets Smart with Kevin Hart
C4 Energy has teamed up with actor and brand investor Kevin Hart for its new ad campaign, Get That Hart Smart Energy.
The brand plans to kick off the campaign this month with its first-ever collaborative hero video featuring the comedian, who became an investor in parent company Nutrabolt in March 2021. C4 will continue to celebrate its Get That Hart Smart Energy multimedia digital campaign by subsequently releasing a content series and a TikTok challenge featuring Hart himself over the next few months.
“My life is non-stop. You might think it’s super human to move as quickly as I do, but it’s really C4 Smart Energy powering me through, helping me stay sharp and laser-focused,” said Hart in a press release.
The first part of the digital campaign, KevinVision, features a multi-dimension, multi-episode video series that showcases Hart’s “multi-hyphenate lifestyle” and “[explores] his many transformations” by placing the actor in three creative mediums including illustration, 8-bit stop motion and anime.
“As an entrepreneurial-minded man of many talents, Hart’s hustle has branched out into many different areas of focus, becoming a man who truly wears many hats,” the brand said in a press release. “Hart manages to juggle the many facets of his life by incorporating C4 Smart Energy into his everyday routine, leveraging the drink to fuel his energetic lifestyle.”
Gatorade Scores with Damian Lillard and Ryan Garcia
Gatorade has teamed up with two top athletes, NBA All-Star Damian Lillard and lightweight boxing champion Ryan Garcia, for the launch of its new creative campaign for Gatorlyte, the brand’s rapid rehydration beverage.
“The first installment of our All G campaign featuring Gatorlyte puts an all-star basketball player in the ring with a lightweight boxing champion in a high-intensity workout together and underscores Gatorlyte’s design for athletes looking for a rapid rehydration solution,” said
The campaign, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, kicked off earlier this week and will appear during the NBA and NHL playoffs with extensions across social and digital platforms.
“We know every athlete is unique and our All G campaign is a culmination of our belief that no matter how you sweat – from the boxing ring to the basketball court – Gatorade has a product to fuel you,” said Ray.
Ripple Encourages Consumers to “Moove Over” to Its Plant-Based Milk
With its new ad campaign, Ripple is encouraging consumers to “Moove Over” and make the switch from dairy or alternative milks to Ripple.
The brand’s new TV spot, called “Cows on Vacation,” features a tongue-in-cheek look at vacationing cows who finally have a day off thanks to Ripple’s plant-based milk. The spot will run on network, cable and connected TV as well as across digital and social media.
“We want to spread the word about Ripple – which consumers rate as the ‘best plant-based milk’ – and educate people in a fun and entertaining way about Ripple’s unique benefits,” said CEO of Ripple Foods Laura Flanagan.
Additionally, Ripple will conduct an in-person “Milk Trade-In” during which consumers can trade in their empty milk or other dairy-alternative brand containers to be recycled in exchange for a free 48 oz. bottle of Ripple.
“Ripple milk contains the same amount of protein as dairy milk and has more protein than regular almond and oat milks […] We hope we can encourage people to ‘moove over’ to Ripple by putting our money where their mouth is – giving them a no-cost opportunity to try Ripple,” said Flanagan.
The in-person “Milk Trade-In” events will kick off in New York City on May 3, followed by Los Angeles on May 12 and Austin, Texas on May 21.
GNGR Labs Debuts First Commercial
New York-based ginger shots maker GNGR has launched its first television ad, which highlights the brand’s star ingredient: organic Peruvian ginger.
“Organic ginger is uniquely grown in Peru, where it’s believed to have the perfect combination of temperature, sunlight, and rainfall that gives the ginger extra spiciness, with a high level of antioxidants, fiber and anti-inflammatory properties,” said the brand in a press release.
The commercial, which features comedian Craig Loydgren, is now streaming across social media platforms.
Pure Leaf Launches Lower-Sugar Teas with Reimagined Tune
In celebration of the launch of lower-sugar teas, Pure Leaf has unveiled a new TV commercial that reimagines Def Leppard’s popular song, “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” with a new version aptly titled, “Pour Lower Sugar For Me.”
Pure Leaf’s Lower Sugar Tea is “a subtly sweet beverage that says ‘no’ to artificial flavors and sweeteners, without compromising the signature Pure Leaf taste,” according to the brand.
In conjunction with the song release, Pure Leaf is set to host an in-store giveaway during which shoppers can enter for a chance to win free music for a year by scanning a QR code in select retailers. The program will be live through May 1.
