Quick Overview:

  • Zevia has enlisted Cardi B as a brand ambassador for a national campaign called "Real Talk Interpreter," which the company says is its largest push to date, according to a press release.
  • The partnership with the rapper is showcased in two humorous ads that link Cardi B's preference for direct, no-frills communication with Zevia's use of real ingredients in its sodas.
  • Beyond the ads, Zevia is inviting consumers to share complex conversations, such as arguments in group chats, and Cardi B will offer her take on what they really mean. Selected submissions will be amplified across the artist's and Zevia's social media channels.

Deep Dive:

Zevia is leaning heavily into Cardi B's unfiltered public persona to drive its largest marketing campaign yet. The consumer packaged goods marketer announced in March that it had named the "Bodak Yellow" artista shareholder and brand ambassador, while also unveiling plans to sponsor her "Little Miss Drama Tour."

The "Real Talk Interpreter" campaign spans streaming TV, social media, retail point-of-sale, and a sweepstakes, integrating Cardi B more deeply into Zevia's advertising strategy and signaling the brand's effort to tap into consumer culture amid intensifying competition in the "better-for-you" soda category.

Humor is central to the creative. In the ads, Cardi B appears in scenes where people are talking in circles, then interrupts in an exaggerated outfit to share her perspective. In one spot, a school counselor tells a mother that her son is "still finding his rhythm academically," prompting Cardi B to step in with her interpretation while sipping a Zevia.

"He means your son is dumb," she says bluntly, before pivoting to serve as the "Real Talk Interpreter" for the embarrassed mother.

Another ad, titled "Potluck," applies the same approach to an awkward community gathering. Zevia worked with creative studio De-Yan on the campaign, which spotlights its Orange Creamsicle and Creamy Root Beer flavors and emphasizes the use of natural ingredients.

The "Real Talk Interpreter" concept also includes a social engagement component: Cardi B will attempt to decode the implied language consumers use in tricky group chats and confusing dating app conversations. Additionally, Zevia is rolling out retail displays featuring the star and hosting a sweepstakes with prizes including signed merchandise.

Zevia, which sweetens its products with the natural ingredient stevia, has been trying to establish a "refreshingly real" positioning through its marketing. Earlier this year, adssatirized the AI boomby depicting a creepy robot coworker that malfunctions when it encounters Zevia. The company believes Cardi B helps reinforce its strategy around authentic communication.

"Having a partner who is truly culturally relevant obviously helps us commercially and from a marketing standpoint, but what we really wanted was someone willing to engage in a non-traditional, longer-term collaboration," Zevia Chief Marketing Officer Kirsten Suarez previously told Marketing Dive about working with Cardi B. "We signed a two-year deal, not a 'shoot one ad, spend one production day together and move on' kind of thing."

Founded in 2007, Zevia was an early mover in the "better-for-you" soda trend but has faced competition in recent years from newer brands like Poppi and Olipop, which are popular with Gen Z and millennials. In the quarter ending March 31, net sales rose 21.2% year over year to $46.1 million, momentum executivespartly attribute to marketing reinvestmentand distribution strategy adjustments. Zevia alsorefreshed its packaging designin March as part of its modernization push.