• by Steve Ellwanger , March 28, 2022

Inviting someone to a prom can be “f-----g frustrating.”

Just as getting basil stuck in your front teeth while in the company of others can be “f-----g embarrassing” and showing up at a prom wearing the same dress as someone else “f-----g awkward."

Izze brings these and other “fizzing” teen moments (hah! Gotcha!) to life with a campaign titled “Fizzing Awesome” and the chance to win a can of the sparkling juice customized for a “promposal.”

It’s the first national advertising campaign from Tropicana Brands Group—the joint venture formed in PepsiCo Inc.’s sale of various North American juice brands to French private equity firm PAI Partners.

Izze’s own F-word language bubbles up in the creative from the Adam & Eve agency to describe the beverage as containing “No fizzing added sugar” and “No fizzing artificial sweeteners.”

In between are various moments—including a photo shoot—with which all teens are familiar, says Samantha Siegal, senior director of emerging brands Marketing at Tropicana Brands Group.

“This is campaign that is built as a love letter to our Gen Z and, in particular, teen consumers,” Siegal tells Marketing Daily.

“What we know is that they are going through some very familiar frustrations on a daily basis—but they’re frustrations that you take with a sense of humor and tackle as they come. It is meant to be very tongue-in-cheek.”

Parents aren’t left out of the frustration loop.

“What we love about this campaign is while it’s speaking directly to teens, we as older adults find that the frustrations featured throughout are resonant and transcend age and demographics.”

Through March 31—National Prom Day—teens can enter a contest on a dedicated Izze website to win a can bearing the name of their intended prom date. Examples include “Ellie you’re a peach.”

One grand prize winner will receive a personal proposal coaching session with TikTok personality Chris Olsen.

Last August, PepsiCo entered a deal to sell Tropicana, Naked and other North American juice brands to PAI Partners for $3.3 billion. PepsiCo received a 39% stake in the standalone joint venture called Tropicana Brands Group, with PAI holding the other 61%.