That’s The Mix
by Sprite
BRIEF → Launch “Mix by Sprite Tropic Berry”, a new flavor of Sprite available only at McDonald’s.
CHALLENGE → Small budget for production and media spend with ambitious sales goals.
IDEA → That’s The Mix, a campaign created with recording artist, Kyle and streetwear designer, Joe Freshgoods.
EXPRESSION → Idea, Original Song, Capsule Collection, Music Video, Lookbook, Premier, Experiential.
IMPACT → 771M Social Impressions, 92M Media Impressions
Campaign Idea
We started by creating a campaign idea that says there’s a cool new flavor of Sprite in a way that feels of the culture. We also ensured it could be expressed across a variety of media – not only in ads, but in co-creations with influencers from music and streetwear too. That’s The Mix does all of these with “mix” playing double duty as a reference to what’s special about the flavor and to the collaborations that earned the campaign its place in culture.
Original Song
To kick the campaign off, we asked multi-platinum rapper Kyle and Brick from the superduper crew to create an original song for the new Mix By Sprite Tropic Berry flavor. The track features lyrics about the fun they have when grabbing some McDonald’s and a Sprite with your friends. The song was released on all streaming platforms and has since become a staple in his live performances.
Capsule Collection
Along with the song, we collaborated with one of streetwear’s most exciting designers, Joe Freshgoods, to create a capsule collection that combined graphic elements from Joe’s unique style, the campaign toolkit, and the Mix By Sprite Tropic Berry logo. The collaboration was gifted to key influencers and picked up by the streetwear and style press, along with Joe’s community, creating anticipation for when & where the collection would be dropped.
Joe Freshgoods
Music Video
Once the song and the capsule collection were created, we shot a music video which provided many of the core assets for the campaign’s toolkit. Directed by Morgan Harary, it blends brand elements from Sprite and McDonald’s with Kyle, Brick and the backup dancers modeling Joe’s custom capsule collection for the campaign. Assets included video cutdowns, stills, and GIF animations.
That’s The Mix Lookbook
The music video set also served as a backdrop for the lookbook we created for Joe’s capsule collection. Kyle, Brick and the video’s backup dancers doubled as models in a shoot that was influenced by elements from McDonald’s brand guidelines. The lookbook was then released digitally on socials by Joe, Sprite, and McDonald’s for maximum reach before being picked up by the press.
Rap Caviar Release
We then partnered with Spotify to launch the campaign on its Rap Caviar playlist. With over 13M followers, it’s where our target spends much of their time checking out the hottest tracks in rap music. As the first campaign to be featured on the playlist, we released the song, premiered its video and displayed custom banners driving to participating McDonald’s for the Joe Freshgoods drops and to try out the new flavor.
Capsule Drops
At participating McDonald’s across the US, fans were given T-shirts and socks from the capsule collection when they tried Mix by Sprite Tropic Berry. Surprise appearances from Kyle & Brick and Joe Freshgoods had fans buzzing and drove enough foot traffic to create lines around the block at every location. Immediately after the drops, items from the collection started appearing marked up on ebay and other streetwear resellers; a sign of credibility in streetwear culture.
Co-creating with the culture, for the culture.
Outline:
That’s the Mix is a campaign that launched Mix by Sprite Tropic Berry, the new flavor of Sprite only available at McDonald’s. The campaign featured a series of collaborations to demonstrate the awesome things that happen when young creators mix together. Highlights include a music video for an original song by Kyle & Brick that was premiered on Spotify’s Rap Caviar, and a social lookbook for an exclusive capsule collection designed by Joe Freshgoods that was dropped at participating McDonald’s in key markets. For $1 fans could try the new flavor and receive a limited edition T-shirt or accessory from the collection. Custom bomber jackets and varsity jackets were also gifted to influencers who participated in the campaign.
Background:
Sprite has long been the drink of choice for the Hip Hop generation, so when Mix by Sprite Tropic Berry was created they were sure to talk about it. The flavor was exclusive to McDonald’s, which at the time was not on their radar, so we had to give them a good reason to step into one of the participating locations and try it out.
Challenges:
To this generation, McDonald’s is where their grandparents meet up for coffee, not where their friends would be and certainly not a source of creative inspiration. With a conservative budget and an audience that doesn’t pay attention to ads, a new approach was required to get this flavor noticed and draw foot traffic to McDonald’s. True to its name, we mixed with the culture by co-creating the campaign with influencers who have this generation’s full attention.
Impact:
771M Social Impressions
92M Media Impressions
521K Video Views
Lines around the block at participating McDonald’s
Press
GQ → Even McDonald’s Is Making Merch Now
WWD → STREET SIGNS: McDonald’s Dabbles in Streetwear
Complex → How Joe Freshgoods Built A Successful Streetwear Brand Out Of Chicago
Los Angeles Times → Mcdonald’s Inks Joe Freshgoods Clothing Collaboration To Build Buzz For Its New Exclusive Sprite Flavor
Highsnobiety → Kyle Stars in McDonald’s & Sprite’s “That’s The MIX” Campaign
Freshness Mag → Joe Freshgoods Debuts Exclusive Capsule For The Launch Of Mix By Sprite Tropic Berry
The Fader → Watch The Video For Kyle’s “That’s The MIX”
The Source → Kyle And Joe Freshgoods Put A Stylish Spin On Sprite With “That’s The Mix” Capsule Collection
IllRoots → Joe Freshgoods Unveils Mcdonald's & Sprite 'That's The Mix' Capsule Collection
HotNewHipHop → Kyle Links Up With McDonald’s, Sprite & Joe FreshGoods For “That’s The Mix”
2DopeBoyz → Kyle Teams With Sprite, Mcdonald’s & Joe Freshgoods For “That’s The Mix”
QSR → McDonald’s Launches Exclusive Sprite Tropic Berry Drink
Spoon University → There’s a Brand New Sprite Flavor, and You Can Only Get It at McDonald’s
Team
Brands → Sprite, McDonald’s
Creative Partners → Kyle, Brick, Joe Freshgoods
Agency → Cornerstone (in-house agency for The Fader)
Creatives → Artesia Balthrop, Courtney Kuhlman, David Rosenfeld, Jill Menor, LP Riel, Robert English, Steve Caputo
Photographer → Zen Sekizawa
Director → Morgan Harary
Production → 1stAveMachine