By Adalia Yeung - Contributor on February 28, 2025
Graphic by Audrey Garcia
During Super Bowl weekend, Poppi, a prebiotic soda alternative, launched a new campaign that partnered with popular social media influencers.
Poppi created fully stocked vending machines, installing them in influencers’ houses, such as Jake Shane, Avery Wood and Kaeli Mae. To fit the online aesthetic, these influencers posted videos unboxing the cans, getting a soda in the middle of the night and describing how the installation process worked.
While the bright-pink machines may seem like every household’s dream, viewers instantly noticed several flaws.
A competitive drink brand, Olipop, took to TikTok, commenting under one of the influencers’ videos, saying, “For the record, those machines cost $25k each.”
Allison Ellsworth, Poppi’s owner and co-founder, released a TikTok of her own to address the comments made by Olipop and consumers who shared their own concerns.
“This vending machine campaign was implemented to bring awareness to the biggest soda moment of the year: the Super Bowl,” Ellsworth said. “We wanted to share Poppi with creators across the U.S. hosting Super Bowl parties for their friends and family.”
“Creator marketing has always been a staple of Poppi’s brand since we launched in 2020,” Ellsworth continued. “But I know that it’s you, our community, that has been the biggest part of our success. It has been a big passion of mine to get Poppi to as many people as possible.”
Poppi is consumerism at its best, and it’s leaving a sour taste in viewers’ mouths.
TikTok users responded to Ellsworth’s video, arguing that the vending machines should be placed in school break rooms, hospitals, community colleges or military bases. Others quickly noted that some influencers who owned the vending machines were at the Super Bowl.
Fortunately, some representatives who received a soda machine have used theirs to help their community. Avery Wood used her Poppi machine to provide refreshments to her family and friends who were first responders.
Rachel Sullivan, an influencer who gained fame for providing meals to college students, included a Poppi drink with a meal. While these influencers use their machines for good, Poppi still suffers due to poor PR.
This is not the brand’s first time being spotlighted for its poor advertisement and branding. The brand heavily leans on being gut-healthy with prebiotics as its main ingredient. In 2024, these misleading health benefit claims prompted a lawsuit for nearly $5 million.
While there are fewer grams of sugar in a single can of Poppi compared to mainstream sodas, Natalie Rizzo, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, says it does not make a massive difference in an individual’s gut health. A single soda can not be advertised to solve gut issues, as one product does not meet all the necessary health needs.
With egg prices increasing nearly 60% within the past year and vehicle owners trying to find the cheapest gas station, giving influencers free merchandise no longer cuts it.
In a post-pandemic world where the economy has dramatically shifted, these new contemporary brands with a young following base are tone-deaf to the realities beyond the screen. However, their followers quickly respond, as middle and lower-class social media users live the reality that influencers and brands like Poppi are too blind to understand.
The drama is fizzing over, and it’s not pretty
During Super Bowl weekend, Poppi, a prebiotic soda alternative, launched a new campaign that partnered with popular social media influencers.
Poppi created fully stocked vending machines, installing them in influencers’ houses, such as Jake Shane, Avery Wood and Kaeli Mae. To fit the online aesthetic, these influencers posted videos unboxing the cans, getting a soda in the middle of the night and describing how the installation process worked.
While the bright-pink machines may seem like every household’s dream, viewers instantly noticed several flaws.
A competitive drink brand, Olipop, took to TikTok, commenting under one of the influencers’ videos, saying, “For the record, those machines cost $25k each.”
Allison Ellsworth, Poppi’s owner and co-founder, released a TikTok of her own to address the comments made by Olipop and consumers who shared their own concerns.
“This vending machine campaign was implemented to bring awareness to the biggest soda moment of the year: the Super Bowl,” Ellsworth said. “We wanted to share Poppi with creators across the U.S. hosting Super Bowl parties for their friends and family.”
“Creator marketing has always been a staple of Poppi’s brand since we launched in 2020,” Ellsworth continued. “But I know that it’s you, our community, that has been the biggest part of our success. It has been a big passion of mine to get Poppi to as many people as possible.”
Poppi is consumerism at its best, and it’s leaving a sour taste in viewers’ mouths.
TikTok users responded to Ellsworth’s video, arguing that the vending machines should be placed in school break rooms, hospitals, community colleges or military bases. Others quickly noted that some influencers who owned the vending machines were at the Super Bowl.
Fortunately, some representatives who received a soda machine have used theirs to help their community. Avery Wood used her Poppi machine to provide refreshments to her family and friends who were first responders.
Rachel Sullivan, an influencer who gained fame for providing meals to college students, included a Poppi drink with a meal. While these influencers use their machines for good, Poppi still suffers due to poor PR.
This is not the brand’s first time being spotlighted for its poor advertisement and branding. The brand heavily leans on being gut-healthy with prebiotics as its main ingredient. In 2024, these misleading health benefit claims prompted a lawsuit for nearly $5 million.
While there are fewer grams of sugar in a single can of Poppi compared to mainstream sodas, Natalie Rizzo, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, says it does not make a massive difference in an individual’s gut health. A single soda can not be advertised to solve gut issues, as one product does not meet all the necessary health needs.
With egg prices increasing nearly 60% within the past year and vehicle owners trying to find the cheapest gas station, giving influencers free merchandise no longer cuts it.
In a post-pandemic world where the economy has dramatically shifted, these new contemporary brands with a young following base are tone-deaf to the realities beyond the screen. However, their followers quickly respond, as middle and lower-class social media users live the reality that influencers and brands like Poppi are too blind to understand.