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Powerade Gets a Sour Face to Go Viral

To promote its new Xtra Sour product line, Powerade kicked off a TikTok Branded Mission in July 2025 with the hashtag #XTRASourMode. The campaign leaned into UGC, encouraging users to film dramatic reactions to their first sips of the mouth-puckering sports drink. Powerade partnered with influencers like Jesser and Insane Shayne and offered prizes to creators with standout sour performances.

Retail tie-ins with Wendy’s and 7‑Eleven further sweetened the campaign (or, in this case, made it extra tart). The blend of influencer marketing, creative incentives, and absurdity created a digital wave of scrunched faces and viral content.

Marketing Takeaway: Want to win Gen Z? Embrace the weird. Let creators drive the show and make your product the punchline.

  • SOURCE: Marketing Dive
  • BRAND: Powerade

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Laphroaig hired Willem Dafoe to describe its famously smoky scotch—and the man basically turned tasting notes into a short film.

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