• by Sarah Mahoney , 10 hours ago

Sprite is back on the court — literally. After an 11-year absence, the Coca-Cola-owned brand has reclaimed its spot as the NBA's Official Soft Drink, and it's arriving with a sweeping new marketing platform, a refreshed visual identity, and a new signature sound designed to reassert its authority in pop culture.

The campaign, themed "It's That Fresh," launches across 180 markets after kicking off in London. It draws on Sprite's long heritage of cool, threading together music, spicy food, fashion and street culture — with basketball at the center of all of it.

"'It's That Fresh’ is a bold expression of Sprite as well as a mindset that celebrates challenging the status quo and championing originality," said Oana Vlad, vice president of the Sprite brand, in the announcement. The goal, she adds, is “a fresh perspective through partnerships with culture-makers around the world and new, memorable experiences for fan communities in music, sports, and food."

Vlad says that today's young audiences don't need to be told what's cool. "They're defining it for themselves" — which is why the campaign aims to meet them where they already are, "spotlighting the freshest takes across culture and the people who aren't afraid to play by their own rules."

Music has long been central to Sprite's identity. The brand's hip-hop roots stretch back to 1986 and its "Now More Than Ever" campaign, running through the iconic "Obey Your Thirst" partnerships of the 1990s and extending globally — K-pop in South Korea, funk and urban beats in Brazil, pop in China — with a consistent focus on rising artists.

That sonic thread continues with the new campaign. Grammy-winning producer and artist Mustard collaborated on a new sonic identity that will run across all Sprite audio and video content. To amplify it further, UK rapper LeoStayTrill created original music using a custom, limited-edition Sprite instrument — a branded Ableton Move preloaded with samples and product sounds that form the new Sprite Sound.

Visually, the brand has also been refreshed. The Lymon symbol returns, the wordmark has been updated, and while Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar share the same hero asset, Zero Sugar maintains clear differentiation through black color cues across all packaging. On some cans, the logo appears vertically.

Beyond music, the campaign encompasses street culture through a partnership with Crenshaw Skate Club, the Los Angeles–born skate collective, and continues the "Hurts Real Good With Sprite" platform targeting Gen Z's appetite for spicy food. Social and creator-led content, live experiences and special offers will roll out with brands including Takis, Tabasco and McDonald's.

The NBA news is big. Sprite first partnered with the League in 1986 and for nearly three decades played an outsized role in basketball culture. The new multiyear partnership — which displaced PepsiCo's Starry — signals a full recommitment to the sport.

"Basketball is central to the DNA of Sprite," said Manolo Arroyo, Coca-Cola's executive vice president and global CMO, in the announcement. "Basketball is not just a game; it's a global cultural engine."

Anchoring the basketball push is Anthony Edwards, whose deal with Sprite has been extended. The 2026 NBA All-Star Game MVP has become one of the sport's most magnetic personalities — a natural fit for a brand that wants to win with the next generation of cool.