Sprite taps into Gen Z's viral tea-dipping trend for HK launch

Sprite has officially launched its latest ready-to-drink innovation, Sprite Tea, a product directly inspired by the viral Gen Z social media trend of dipping tea bags into Sprite.

Having already taken North America by storm upon its 2025 debut, Sprite Tea is now bringing that same creative, rule-breaking energy to the Hong Kong market.

Pinpointing the specific interests and fast-paced lifestyle of Gen Z, the campaign aims to drive both trial and awareness of this unexpected flavour profile—the classic, crisp lemon-lime bubbles of Sprite blended with real tea extract. The launch serves to cement Sprite’s global positioning as the brand that transforms everyday bursts of creativity into something extraordinary.

Featuring the evocative slogan “It’s that fresh, live refreshingly” (活出你的爽), the campaign invites Hongkongers to experience an entirely new level of refreshment this summer.

Executed in partnership with creative agency Ogilvy Hong Kong, media agency EssenceMediaCom, and PR agency Ernest and Donald Marketing Communications, the campaign adopts a robust integrated strategy. The rollout focuses on high-visibility street activations and strategic retail placements designed to reach the target audience organically within their daily routines.

As a core element of the activation, Sprite will be giving away 80,000 cup-served samples of Sprite Tea via a mobile pop-up tea shop. This traveling installation will visit high-traffic districts across Hong Kong throughout May and June, transforming urban streets into a "Creative research institute" where consumers can experience the new product in exchange for social media follows.

To drive immediate trial, strategic partnerships with major retail networks have also been leveraged. These include special trial pricing at convenience stores, exclusive bundle offers at DS Groceries, and gift-with-purchase promotions available on the Swire Coca-Cola eShop.

Adding a high-energy pulse to the launch, the brand will debut a series of flash mob dances. These performances will feature professional dancers and a dedicated "muscle squad" set to the hit song "Killa" by brand ambassador Chau Yan Ting. This is paired with an interactive social media contest, where users can win a full case of Sprite Tea by sharing video clips of these performances online.

The initiative will be further amplified through a coordinated promotional blitz centered on Sprite’s official Instagram and across multiple trade channels to ensure maximum market saturation.

The campaign’s return on investment will be measured through comprehensive brand lift and engagement metrics. This includes monitoring shifts in brand association, social media engagement (reach, shares, and UGC), real-time sentiment at activations, and the recall of the “Sprite Tea drink institute” gimmick, alongside direct consumer feedback regarding the new flavor profile.

“We’ve seen the incredible creativity of Gen Z on social media, and with the launch of Sprite Tea, we are turning their viral 'Sprite + tea bag' trend into a reality. Using the ‘Sprite Tea drink Institute’ as a creative gimmick, we are engaging consumers directly in the streets of Hong Kong to make this a must try refreshing product this summer,” said Sally Cheng, senior marketing director, Coca-Cola China.

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