Zevia is making the most of Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B’s unfiltered personality in its latest campaign ‘Real Talk Interpreter’, launching in the US across streaming TV, social media and retail, translating awkward everyday conversations into her trademark brutally honest commentary.
It comes as Zevia, which sweetens its products with the natural ingredient stevia, has been working to carve a “refreshingly real” position through marketing.
The campaign marks Cardi B’s first national advertising push for Zevia since signing a two-year partnership earlier this year. But she’s more than just the face of the brand—she’s also an equity shareholder, giving her a financial stake in the company’s success.
Credits: Zevia.
“Real Talk Interpreter,” which spans streaming TV, social media, retail elements and a sweepstakes, brings Cardi B closer into Zevia’s advertising strategy and shows how the brand is trying to tap into consumer culture as it contends with an increasingly competitive better-for-you soda category.
Humor is a focus of the creative, with Cardi B sitting in on conversations where people dance around what they’re actually trying to say before the rapper interrupts to share her thoughts while sporting over-the-top outfits. In one spot, a school guidance counselor tells a mom that her son is “still finding his footing academically” before Cardi B rolls in to give her take while sipping Zevia.
Credits: Zevia.
“He’s saying your son is stupid,” she notes, before switching sides and acting as a “Real Talk Interpreter” for the flustered mom.
The other ad, “Potluck,” takes the same approach to an awkward community gathering. Zevia worked with creative studio De-Yan on the campaign, which spotlights Zevia’s Orange Creamsicle and Creamy Root Beer flavors and underscores its use of natural ingredients.
The “Real Talk Interpreter” concept will also have a social component, with Cardi B trying to parse out loaded language shared by consumers in thorny group chats and confusing dating-app conversations. In addition, Zevia is introducing retail displays featuring the celebrity and will run a sweepstakes offering the chance to win prizes like autographed merchandise