For decades, Sprite China had positioned itself as the ultimate summer cooldown beverage which had worked…a little too well.
To overcome its persistent cold weather sales slump, the brand had just launched a new proposition “Heat Happens, Stay Cool” reframing itself as the year-round antidote to moments of physical and mental heat. So, as winter approached, we needed a cut-through, culturally relevant way to ensure Sprite’s new message stayed top of mind and drove sales.
What major cultural event gets more heated than the FIFA World Cup? The shared agony and ecstasy of high-stakes football and the hundreds of millions of Chinese Gen Z – Sprite’s growth audience – expected to tune in made the 2022 Qatar World Cup a likely shot on goal. But without any formal sponsorship deal, Sprite was the marketing underdog going into the tournament.
