FUZE Iced Tea and Mr. T Team Up for a Flavor-charged Summer

via Market Watch

ATLANTA, Jun 23, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- This summer, FUZE is putting an end to the “jibber jabber” and launching a campaign designed to introduce people to its line of bold, flavor-charged iced teas. The brand has enlisted celebrated actor and one-time professional wrestler and bodyguard-to-the-stars, Mr. T, to be the new face of FUZE.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150623006070/en/

The cornerstone of the campaign is an all-new 30-second spot, “Butterflyz,” starring the venerable pop culture icon in perhaps his most unique role to-date. The ad, which will debut in an extensive digital buy beginning today, also will live on FuzeBev.com.

The spot features a “butterfly” played by the larger-than-life Mr. T, floating above a park bench. With his trademark gold chains and penchant for rhymes, he talks to a woman sipping a bottle of FUZE Iced Tea and reinforces the drink’s bold taste as dozens of look-alike Mr. T butterflies gather around her. The spot concludes with a winged Mr. T bench-pressing a daisy in a humorous nod to his legendary tough persona.

The digital spot, along with a 15-second version, will appear between June and October on media properties such as YouTube, Xbox, MediaBrix and Spotify. In addition to the ad, the fully-integrated campaign includes a variety of social content, out-of-home ads, experiential sampling stops and retail activations throughout the summer.

In social media, fans who tag their photos with #fuzify and #flavorchargedtea will have a little “flavor” added using colorful visual special effects. A Mr. T-themed van will visit select markets and offer fans samples of a variety of FUZE Iced Tea flavors. They also will have a chance to win prizes like Mr. T FUZE T-shirts, temporary tattoos and, of course, FUZE branded “gold” chains.

“This is the first major, integrated campaign supporting the FUZE Iced Tea brand, and we know current and future fans are going to love what Mr. T brings to the table,” said Geoff Henry, Group Director, Tea, Coca-Cola North America. “What better way to communicate that FUZE is a bold, flavor-charged iced tea than to partner with the one and only, Mr. T?”

“You can’t have tea without Mr. T, fool,” said Mr. T, star of The A-Team and Rocky III. “FUZE Iced Tea is just like the butterfly I play in the commercial. Just when you think you know what to expect, boom! Something bold, unique and exciting happens! I pity the fool who doesn’t try it this summer!”

Fans can visit FuzeBev.com throughout the summer to enjoy and interact with fun and original content starring Mr. T, including:

• Place you or your friend in a digital headlock or toast with Mr. T and take your very own “Self-T” against a variety of flavor-charged backgrounds
• Send your friend a “bold” phone call from Mr. T, in which he expresses what he most admires about the person in a fun and light-hearted manner
• Watch weekly videos called “It’s T-Time,” which feature Mr. T providing tips on everything from throwing a flavor-charged tea party to looking “butterfly” and offering general life advice
• Download digital alarm-tone and text-tones such as “Don’t press snooze, grab a FUZE” and “Your phone’s ringing, fool!”

“Our new digital creative, combined with a season filled with marketing activations is designed to communicate – and celebrate – the great taste of bold, flavor-charged FUZE Iced Tea in a light-hearted and highly engaging way. We think people will respond enthusiastically to the campaign and look forward to reaching even greater heights throughout the summer,” said Henry.

Drake's View from the 6 - Obey Your Thirst

via The Fader

Watch "Drake - Obey  your Thirst (Episode 1)"

At 28, Drake is a superstar—the only guy who could dethrone Taylor Swift on the charts with a mixtape. But he doesn't see top sellers or legends as his rivals. "I’m not worried about these other rappers, I’m not competing with those guys," he says in the above Obey Your Thirst documentary, created by The FADER and Sprite. "I already know their hand, I know their move. I study everything. I’m worried about the kid that’s sitting in his house that wants to be better than me and all those guys. That’s who I’m competing with."

In this rare interview, Drake opens up about emerging from an underdog city, internet culture, and rap's increasingly level playing field. Coming up in Toronto, he explains, people told him to move to New York if he was serious about making it. Instead, he stayed where he was and made history by proving that if you’re a truly "multi-layered" artist, you can make it from anywhere. “Do it the way I did it," he says. "Do it from where you’re at. If you have the music, that's all it takes."

Watch the full documentary above, and stay tuned for three more, sharing the stories of Nas, Vince Staples, and Isaiah Rashad.

Drake Interview With Sprite - Says "Do It The Way I Did"

via Inquisitr

View Drake - "Obey Your Thirst"

Drake has made it. There’s no doubt about his level of success. Even now, fans are anxiously awaiting his Views from the 6 album. In a recent documentary, Drizzy says to “do it” the way he did it.

What exactly does he mean? Well, Drake’s from Toronto. It wasn’t exactly the mecca of worldwide music stars at the time — like Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City, Nashville, etc. Drizzy’s music didn’t become stifled though. He was determined not to allow it’s location be a hindrance to his success.

As Fader mentions, Drake’s performances began in his hometown. Though it’s grown in notoriety, there were humble beginnings.

“Instead of traveling to a larger hub to get hot, he planted his feet and dedicated himself to putting his city on the map. Years later, having achieved that goal, he’s helped rewrite the rulebook of rap success.”

In a collaborative documentary with Sprite and Fader, Drake discusses his thoughts about being successful in the music industry. Aubrey Graham quotes as follows.

“Rap music has always been about story-telling. I’ve never seen the sense in crafting a story that isn’t my own. All I did was find a way to make people proud of our city. Do it the way I did it. Do it from where you at. If you have the music, that’s all it takes.

“Present it to the world, and they’ll tell you if it’s worth their time or not…Just rapping is really not that impressive anymore. There just has to be more. You have to be a multi-layered artist.”

The companies released an extended version of the trailer as well.
 
View the Teaser Here

However, the full documentary will release on Wednesday, June 24, 2015. It includes Drake, Vince Staples, Nas, and Isaiah Rashad. Will you watch?

Coke Collaborates with Luxury Brand Trussardi for Design Centennial

via Paste Magazine

Coca-Cola (or really any soda for that matter) is an inexpensive luxury, but a luxury nonetheless. So for the 100th anniversary of the famous cola’s bottle design, the iconic cans and bottles were pimped out accordingly.

The beverage giant partnered with Italian luxury apparel and accessories brandTrussardi to commemorate the classic design’s centennial. The collaboration gave way to at least five different designs that share both the Coca-Cola and Trussardi name.

Three of the designs are displayed on Coca-Cola Light tin cans. One is wrapped in a gold snake skin pattern, while the other two are covered in a neon green, purple and blue pattern. All three have the words “Elegantly Cool” printed in a bold, sans serif typeface, nestled in between the two famous logos. The classic Coca-Cola bottles were painted in a similar pattern, instead colored with mixes of dark red and brown — the colors of both brands — and gold.

The designer cans and bottles are set to be introduced at Expo Milano 2015, which is a six-month showcase in Milan, Italy that aims to find answers to generating sustainable, healthy food while respecting the environment. The expo began in May. No word on any releases in the U.S.

Mountain Dew Shows Us What Twitter Looks Like With Autoplay

via AdWeek

Twitter unleashed its autoplay videos earlier today, and Mountain Dew wasted little time demonstrating what the development might mean, visually speaking. The PespiCo-owned soda brand put together five GIF-based clips for the platform. 

Check out Mountain Dew's early efforts.

Autoplay lets marketers use GIFs, videos and Vines. Mountain Dew, which has 459,000 Twitter followers and probably wanted to be among the first brands to use the new feature, likely chose GIFs because they can be created quickly. 

Moving forward, expect to see a lot more multimedia in your news feed that starts automatically.

Coca-Cola Invites the World to Reach up and Support the Special Olympics World Games 2015 Los Angeles

via GNN Liberia

ATLANTA, June 17, 2015 --(BUSINESS WIRE/ME NewsWire)-- This summer, Los Angeles will welcome 7,000 inspirational athletes from 177 different countries to the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Supporting children and adults with intellectual disabilities, the World Games is the largest sports and humanitarian event on the globe.

To celebrate, The Coca-Cola Company, Founding Partner of Special Olympics, has assembled a star-studded team to record a unified song for the World Games, titled “Reach Up.” The new song debuts today and will be performed during the World Games. ESPN is the official broadcaster of the World Games and will have a three-hour live telecast of the Opening Ceremony beginning at 9 p.m. ET featuring Robin Roberts, co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and ESPN’s Lindsay Czarniak and Kevin Negandhi.

“Reach Up” features rock band O.A.R., recording artist Cody Simpson and, accompanied by Breanna Bogucki, a singer and decorated Special Olympics athlete from Illinois who has Autism, and Madison Tevlin, a young Canadian woman with Down syndrome who became a viral sensation earlier this year. Written by Marc Roberge, lead singer of O.A.R., Nathan Chapman and Kevin Kadish the uplifting alternative-rock song encourages people of all abilities to never give up.

Inspired by Special Olympics Unified Sports – a program that brings athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together on the same team to compete – “Reach Up” embodies the values of optimism, acceptance and inclusion shared by Coca-Cola and Special Olympics.

“In all our lives, we’ve been touched by somebody who may not have been born with all the opportunities we were. At the end of the day, we are all doing the exact same thing - trying to appreciate this daily life that we’re given,” said Marc Roberge, lead singer of O.A.R. “I feel like the lucky one, being able to spend time and learn from two incredible individuals - Madison and Bree - involved with Coca-Cola for something as special and as important as the Special Olympics World Games. ‘Reach Up’ is an anthem. I want people to hear it and feel like they can do anything.”

Fans can support Special Olympics by sharing the “Reach Up” music video on social media using the hashtag #ReachUp. Coca-Cola will donate one dollar – up to $100,000 – to Special Olympics for every “Reach Up” video share using the hashtag leading up to the World Games.

Fans can listen to “Reach Up” on Spotify and learn more about the musicians’ story on Coca-Cola Journey.

The Coca-Cola Company is the Founding Partner and Global Sponsor of Special Olympics, the world’s largest health and sports organization dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Since 1968 – Special Olympics’ inception – the Company has maintained a deep commitment to the organization and has provided more than $190 million in support of its programs through product, equipment, donations and marketing support.

Motive Trolls Coke for Pepsi

via Agency Spy

Motive launched a new campaign for Pepsi entitled “But Only with Pepsi,” which mocks two Coca-Cola marketing devices: the brand’s polar bear mascot and “Share a Coke with…” name on a bottle packaging. Two new 15-second spots bring the take-downs while hyping Pepsi’s summer promotion offering consumers the chance to win concert tickets.

Watch the spot here.

Both ads open with a voiceover announcing, “This summer you can win tickets every hour to concerts of your choice” as two friends each buy a soda from a vending machine, one a Pepsi and the other a Coke, before the voiceover adds, “…but only with Pepsi.” In the ad with the more better takedown, a girl turns to her friend and says, “At least your name’s on the bottle,” to which she replies, “Do I look like a Larry to you?” It’s a succinct yet effective criticism of the name on a bottle stunt, emphasizing its randomness. A second spot sees a guy reassure his friend, “You still got the polar bear.” The spots promote the Pepsi Pass loyalty program app, which will offer consumers the chance to win tickets to concerts and even the MLB All Star game, as well as dining points at participating restuarants by scanning the barcode on Pepsi products.

“We know that there are few things that grab our fans’ attention as much as seeing our beloved blue and that red next to each other,” Linda Lagos, brand marketing and digital director for Pepsi, told Ad Age. “It’s done well for us in the past, and it’s just something that we know works and that they love to see."

Watch the second spot here.

Drake, Nas Star In New Sprite Commercial

via Billboard

Drake and Nas co-star in a new commercial for Sprite that debuted during the NBA Finals on Sunday (June 14), marking Drake's first TV ad for the brand in five years.

Watch the spot here. 

Set to Drake's "0 To 100," the 30-second spot consists of footage from Drake and Nas' concert for the citrus soda during NBA All-Star Weekend in February at New York's Irving Plaza, and is designed to promote Sprite "Obey Your Verse" -- a newly released line of limited-edition cans featuring 16 classic hip-hop lyrics, including five bars apiece from Drake and Nas. The spot, created with ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, synchs up with one of Drake's cans, which features the "0 To 100" line "Know yourself / know your worth." 

 Sprite VP Kimberly Paige recently told Billboard that other hip-hop surprises are in store for the "Obey Your Verse" campaign this summer. "We’re gonna look at everything we do and how to bring it life in the marketplace, which will unfold over the next couple of weeks," she said. 

Though it remains an active sponsor of the NBA and several other key TV events throughout the year, Sprite was a relatively modest marketer in 2014. The brand spent a little over $10 million on measured media, according to Kantar Media.

Pepsi Pops Open Ultimate Fan Experiences This Summer

via PR News Wire

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is here and Pepsi is making it memorable by delivering incredible, one-of-a-kind fan experiences to some of the hottest music and sporting events, restaurants and travel destinations. Today, the brand announced how it will kick off the season and deliver on its promise of unforgettable moments and exciting prizes with a summer campaign paired with an innovative app inviting fans to "pop open music every hour."

Starting now and continuing through the season, Pepsi is rewarding fans and their friends with the opportunity to win tickets to their choice of thousands of concerts, every hour. Additionally, fans will have the chance to access unique music experiences through Pepsi's new loyalty program and app, Pepsi Pass. Pepsi Pass is a rewards-based application (available on iOS and Android devices) where consumers earn points by entering and scanning codes on select Pepsi single serve products. In an innovative take on loyalty, Pepsi is also rewarding fans for having fun, enabling them to earn points by simply hanging out with their friends who also have the app. By downloading and signing up for Pepsi Pass, consumers can enter for a chance at hourly ticket prizing, or access a universe of prizes ranging from trips to the summer's top music festivals and concerts, a VIP experience during MLB All-Star Week in Cincinnati and dining credit with a range of Pepsi partner restaurants. 

"Pepsi's goal every year is to be at the pulse of pop culture and bring fans closer to the musicians, athletes and experiences they love," said Linda Lagos, Brand Marketing and Digital Director, Pepsi. "Nothing says summer like outdoor music festivals and live sporting events. We are excited to launch our 'Pop Open Music' campaign and Pepsi Pass, which will deliver unprecedented access to these experiences to more of our fans."

Here is a sampling of how Pepsi will deliver on amazing experiences and prizes this summer:

• Pepsi, through its new partnership with Live Nation, will send fans on a VIP experience to one of summer's most buzzed about music festivals, Lollapalooza.
• Pepsi and iHeartRadio join forces for another season to bring fans tickets to the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.
• Pepsi will send a few lucky fans to the MTV Video Music Awards in August.
• Summer would not be complete without baseball and Pepsi is working with MLB to bring VIP experiences to fans including an MLB All-Star Week package, viewing of batting practice, field-level tickets to regular season games and more.
• Hundreds of hospitality and food prizes await fans including hotel stays at SLS Las Vegas and Miamiand gift cards for Applebee's, Hard Rock Cafe and more.

Media supporting Pepsi Summer feature two :15 second television spots including the new hit single "Different Colors" from recording artists WALK THE MOON, and "We Make it Bounce" from celebrity DJ and producer Dillon Francis. The spots, which highlight the fan fun and experiences that await, are running on national and local broadcast outlets.

Mountain Dew's Green Label Open Studio Winner Launches Film

via Media Post

Mountain Dew has chosen the winner of a content campaign centering on young film makers looking for a spotlight.

The partnership, Green Label Studios Open Call, under its Green Label art and lifestyle platform, launched last year and involved outsider film maker Robert Rodriguez. It rewarded 10 movie-camera wielding combatants, who submitted short films that had to more or less double as youth-focused long-form ads for Mountain Dew, under its “Do the Dew” banner. 

The 10, chosen by a Mountain Dew panel from among all of the contest submissions, each got a $10,000 production grant to make a piece of content for the soda brand. Then in New York last summer they showed their films down in Soho, where judging took place. The winner got a $250,000 production grant to make a film for Green-Label.com and mentorship by Rodriguez and agency Orci. Mountain Dew got the content, product placement and branding in the films.  

The PepsiCo unit has released the winning movie, by Nathan Balli. The 2:47 film, “Arctic Surf,” follows the exploits of a pair of madmen who enjoy surfing in Alaska. The film follows their adventures, including the trip via charter plane and fishing vessel to the remote, gelid location, the stunning half-moon Aialik Bay flanked by snow-dappled mountains. A rep for the PepsiCo unit says that as of now, the content will just live on the Mountain Dew YouTube page; there are no plans to put any of it into advertising.

Mountain Dew also launched a program called Green Label Sound: Open Call at the end of last year, which was a national search for the next up-and-coming musical talent, with Kelechi being named the winner. But way back in 2011 the company got into the record-label business, producing its first full-length record, the debut of rap duo Cool Kids’ When Fish Ride Bicycles under the Green Label Sound label. The spokesperson says the brand is looking to continually expand the original Open Call program to different relevant verticals, including more in music.

Lots of brands are getting or have gotten into the music act either with record labels, or more commonly content curation (Honda Stage among them): there’s Converse’s Rubber Tracks label, and Toyota’s “youth” brand Scion, which got into the record mix  back in 2005 with Scion A/V.

Lipton Ice Tea Unveils New Summer Campaign

via Talking Retail

Britvic and Pepsi Lipton International have launched a new multi-channel summer campaign for the Lipton Ice Tea brand.

Targeting the brand’s core audience of busy 18-34 year olds, the campaign is centred around a series of London-based events which aim to get Londoners to break from their normal routine and experience their city in a different way. The events series will be supported by advertising, social media activity and experiential sampling.

The first event is set to take place on the 5th June with the first-ever live gig at London’s Sky Garden in the ‘Walkie Talkie’ tower, featuring folk-pop duo Hudson Taylor. Other events will include a 100m slip and slide at Kings Boulevard in Kings Cross on the 19th and 20th June and a DJ set at Old Street Roundabout with legendary DJ Norman Jay MBE on the 10th July. Media partnerships with TimeOut and XFM will encourage users to sign up for a chance to win tickets at www.beadaybreaker.co.uk.

The brand will also be one of the first to host live content from the events on Periscope – the live streaming app, allowing users who can’t attend the morning events to watch them live via streaming. In addition to London-based large format outdoor and tube advertising, the campaign is also underpinned by nationwide print advertising communicating Lipton Ice Tea’s perfect serve, in a newly designed jam jar serve.

The launch of the campaign follows last month’s announcement that Lipton Ice Tea has updated its range by adding a new raspberry-flavoured variant. The new flavour joins existing variants Peach, Lemon and Mango to complete the range. Further to this, the Lipton Ice Tea range has been recently reformulated to contain 30% less sugar which has resulted in each 500ml bottle now containing less than 100 calories. The brand has also refreshed its packaging for the PET and glass bottles with a more premium label, bottle shape and texture; giving the product a more modern look.

Kevin McNair, GB marketing director for Britvic, said: “We are very excited about the launch of this consumer campaign for Lipton Ice Tea. By driving awareness and excitement around the new-look and extended range we are confident the campaign will result in greater sales for retailers and operators alike.”

Crystal Pepsi Is Poised for a Comeback

via AdAge

PepsiCo Hints That Its 1990s-era Clear Cola Is Returning

Crystal Pepsi appears headed for a comeback, that much is clear. But details on when and how the 1990s-era cola will return remain murky.

The clear cola was first introduced in 1992 but lasted only a few years. Despite its short lifespan, the drink apparently gained a loyal following of consumers who have lobbied PepsiCo to bring it back.

On Tuesday, the cola giant sent its strongest signal yet that Crystal might soon be available again by responding to one of its biggest fans, competitive eating star Kevin Strahle. Mr. Strahle, who goes by the name L.A. Beast on Twitter, tweeted an image of a message he said he received from Pepsi that stated: "We definitely hear you and all your followers and we think you'll all be happy with what's in store."

View image here

A PepsiCo spokeswoman confirmed the authenticity of the message to Ad Age. She declined to provide other details, but said "we think Crystal Pepsi fans are going to be happy with what we have planned."

The apparently imminent launch could follow Coca-Cola's move late last year to bring back Surge, a 1990s-era citrus-flavored soda. The company in September made the brand available for sale on Amazon.com, pointing to lobbying from fan groups such as one called the "The Surge Movement," which has more than 200,000 Facebook fans.

It is unclear if Pepsi plans to make a similar e-commerce play, or if Crystal Pepsi will get wider distribution. In the early 1990s, the launch was backed with a $40 million ad budget and major hoopla, "only to fizzle among consumers who had grown disenchanted with clear sodas," Ad Age reported in 1994. At the time Pepsi sought to spark new interest by reformulating Crystal with a citrus taste.

Crystal's likely return comes after soda brand Zevia in May announced it was going "color-free" across its 17-flavor portfolio. Zevia -- which touts itself as a "zero calorie, naturally sweetened soda brand" -- had previously used caramel colors in its colas, ginger root beer, ginger ale, Dr. Zevia and cream varieties. Caramel coloring has fallen out of favor with some consumers.

Zevia also announced that it had received certification as being GMO-free. "Shoppers want four things from the sodas they drink: flavors, bubbles, sweetness and enjoyment," Zevia CEO Paddy Spence said in a statement. "But they don't want artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, GMO ingredients and caramel color. We are the first brand to deliver on the core promise of the soda category, without the ingredients that consumers don't want."

Nas & Drake Lyrics Appear On Limited Edition #ObeyYourVerse Sprite Products

via All HipHop

(AllHipHop News) One of the greatest lyricists from the 1990’s and one of the social media quote leaders of the 2010’s now have their words imprinted on select Sprite products. The soft drink company is releasing bottles and cans which feature lines from Queens emcee Nas and Toronto representative Drake.

The limited edition merchandise include words from classic Nas’ songs like “The World Is Yours” and popular Drake tracks like “0 To 100.” Both rappers performed at Sprite’s New York City Obey Your Thirst concert in February.

The Coco-Cola subsidiary has also teamed with other artists such as K Camp, Nebu and Veronica Vega for the Sprite Sound promotion. Sprite also sponsored the 2015 Thirst Of The Burroughs competition during NBA All-Star weekend in NYC. Staten Island took home the title thanks to rapper Tyrone Briggs and fashion designer Rajsean Bell.

Coke's New Twitter Ads Call Out Viewers by Name

via AdWeek

Fifteen or so years ago, email marketers started following in the footsteps of their direct mail predecessors by including the recipient's name at the top of the message—and often in the subject line, too. And now the practice is coming to Twitter ads.

Coca-Cola has been buying Promoted Tweets that show up in viewers' Twitter feeds and address them by their first names. The ad copy starts with: "Hey [NAME], #ShareACoke is back! Order..." You can see the full promo in the above image.

The new tactic is part of a larger, ongoing "Share a Coke" campaign that debuted earlier this spring. The company is encouraging people to buy 8-ounce bottles of the soda, personalized with their names, for $5 apiece. 

Coke wasn't available for comment. But it appears the Atlanta-based soda giant is employing Twitter's Tailored Audiences platform in an innovative way to create this targeted style of advertising.

Twitter deferred to Coca-Cola about the campaign and didn't state whether other brands were using the personalized call to action.

But it would certainly interest any marketer that is looking to increase its click-through rates on the microblogging platform.

PepsiCo Gets Crafty With New 'Stubborn Soda' Brand

via Adage

Here's more evidence that the craft beer boom is spilling into soda: PepsiCo today confirmed that it will soon launch a new line of craft sodas called "Stubborn Soda," that will be sold at fountains at select foodservice accounts.

The launch follows the recent introduction of Pepsi's Caleb's Kola and Mountain Dew Dewshine, which are also meant to play in the burgeoning craft soda space. Stubborn will come in flavors including black cherry with tarragon, classic root beer, lemon berry acai, agave vanilla cream, orange hibiscus and pineapple cream, a PepsiCo spokeswoman confirmed in an email.

"Following our recent launches of Caleb's Kola and Mountain Dew Dewshine, we're continuing to explore the craft space with Stubborn Soda and its unique, contemporary flavor profiles," she said. "Introducing it on fountain with an engaging piece of innovative equipment offers consumers a new take on the traditional soft-drink experience while also creating value for customers."

PepsiCo did not disclose its marketing or ad plans for Stubborn, which is considered to be in an "incubation phase."

The launch was first reported by Beverage Digest, which noted that while craft beers have gained significant traction, interest in craft sodas is relatively new, and "there is no consensus, at least yet, as to exactly what 'craft' means in the [soda] world." However, the publication noted that the use of sugar as a sweetener and glass bottles "seem to be common."

Pepsi's Stubborn brand will be made with "fair trade certified cane sugar and natural flavors," according to PepsiCo. And in an apparent nod to beer, Pepsi has created a new fountain equipment for the brand that includes a "tap-like pouring ritual." Caleb's Kola, which was introduced in late 2014, will also be available in the new machines.

Caleb's is made from cane sugar, kola nuts from Africa, spices and a hint of citrus. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi plugged the brand at a Beverage Digest conference last year saying that "I think there is actually a huge potential for craft cola." She added that "people still love the cola taste -- it's just lost some of its cool factor and I think products like Caleb's are bringing back some of the cool factor."

Still, it remains to be seen just how big of market there is for craft sodas. In the beer industry, crafts have gotten a ton of attention in recent years and have enjoyed consistently strong year-over-year growth. But traditional brands like Bud Light still dominate when it comes to market share. The Brewer's Association, which represents craft brewers, estimated that craft brews account for $19.6 billion of the $101.5 billion U.S. beer market.

Beverage Digest noted that Stubborn will likely supplement, not replace, mainstream brands in food service accounts, as outlets would "likely want to keep selling Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mtn Dew and other big brands."