Yahoo Lifestyle “I Don’t Get Why Companies Are Still Rolling Out The ‘Let’s Rub Money In Poor People’s Faces’ Campaigns Thinking It's A ‘Win’": Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Viral Backlash Poppi Soda Is Facing
If you've never heard of Poppi, they are a low-sugar, low-calorie soda containing prebiotics and apple cider vinegar.
Poppi was sued last year for consumer fraud and false and misleading advertising by claiming their sodas improve gut health. However, Poppi has called the lawsuit baseless, and the suit is ongoing. Since then, the brand has been making a statement with their PR gifts. Last month, influencer Trisha Paytas got a surprise from the brand, and when she asked what a prebiotic was, the rep was unsure.
Leaning into influencers seems to be their main marketing strategy, and their Super Bowl commercial was no exception, featuring Alix Earle, Jake Shane, and Robert Rausch.
Another extension of their brand awareness on social media during the Super Bowl came in the form of pink vending machines.
The fancy, touch-screen vending machines were delivered to several influencers.
Cases and cases of Poppi also arrived at their homes so the machines could be overstocked for free.
@sailawaymedia / tiktok.com
And, as expected, the influencer videos have been racking up millions of views.
@rachsullivan__ / tiktok.com, @sailawaymedia / tiktok.com
Although the influencers can only keep the machines for a limited time, people on social media have been quick to share their thoughts. In the below TikTok by @sailawaymedia that has nearly 2.5 million views, she says, "People have been tolerating this kind of flashy PR from brands less and less. Times are tough economically and lots of people can't even afford to drink Poppi at all. And they have to watch wealthy influencers flaunt this online? They could have done this so much better...think less brand trips for influencers and more how you can show up for everyday average Joe."
Another TikToker @jadejarvistv shared, "Seeing these influencers get these Poppi vending machines makes me never want to buy a Poppi again. We see influencer trips and PR hauls, all of those kinds of things that influencers get — but at what point is enough, enough? At what point does it seem like the rich giving to the rich? How about you donate the Poppi vending machine to a Title One school or put it in a food desert where people can't afford Poppi?"
TikToker @isabellalanter went on to share how she thinks they "fucked up": "It feels very out of touch. I don't think it's doing what you think it's doing. A lot of viewers are not just going to be wickedly 'wowed' by PR packages because we're not back in the 2017/2018 beauty era where everyone was losing their shit over PR packages. We have shifted as a society where this kind of stuff is not as, 'Oh my god, wow. I want to buy from this brand.' You know what I mean?"
@isabellalanter also said she thinks that setting up the vending machines in select areas with surprise flavors or some sort of "golden ticket" idea that everyone could participate in would have been more effective.
People in the comments of the opinion videos, as well as the influencer videos, have not been holding back their thoughts either:
They are also pointing out how expensive Poppi is. (One 12-ounce can runs around $2.49 before tax in Los Angeles):
Other brands have even been joining in on the comments, namely Poppi's competitor, Olipop:
But, the main takeaway seems to be that people would have loved to see these free vending machines elsewhere:
All in all, hopefully ALL brands are taking notes!
BuzzFeed reached out to Poppi, who said that, in addition to influencers, the machines were sent to "people in New Orleans." They also hosted an event at a popular New Orleans college bar called The Boot where free Poppis were given away. Here is the full response from Farial Moss, Director of PR and Communication:
"We strategically launched these vending machines around Super Bowl — the biggest soda moment of the year — to kick off our 2025 'Soda Thoughts' campaign. These were never intended for one-time use. Both creators across the US and people in New Orleans received these machines — with our first consumer event taking place at the popular Tulane hot spot 'The Boot' — where college students could enjoy complimentary poppi for the Big Game and beyond. This marks the first of many phases in this campaign. As our beloved community has always been at the forefront of the poppi brand, these machines will be rolling out to them via events, social giveaways, and nominations in the weeks to come.
Despite false comments from our competitors, we are focused on revolutionizing soda for the next generation and can’t wait for you all to see what’s next."
