Poppi (drink)

Last updated

Poppi
Poppi logo.svg
Logo used since 2019
Poppi Strawberry Lemon.jpg
A can of Poppi Strawberry Lemon
Type Prebiotic soda
Manufacturer PepsiCo
DistributorPepsiCo
OriginUnited States, Austin, Texas, U.S. [1]
Introduced2018;8 years ago (2018)
Website drinkpoppi.com

Poppi (stylized in all-lowercase as poppi) is an American brand of prebiotic soda known for its "gut healthy" approach to the carbonated-beverage market. Launched in 2018, Poppi offers a variety of low-sugar flavors, each with 35 calories or less. [2] As of 2023, the company's sales have surpassed $100 million with the sodas being available in over 120 retailers. In 2025, PepsiCo announced that they would acquire the brand. The acquisition was completed on May 19, 2025. [3]

Contents

History

Background

Poppi was initially founded as Mother Beverage by couple Stephen and Allison Ellsworth. The pair appeared on Shark Tank under the name Mother Beverage in 2018. [4] The name 'Mother Beverage' was a nod to the raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar used in the soda. Allison had previously worked in the oil and gas industry and initially sold apple cider vinegar-based health drinks at local farmer's markets. After they were married, she and her husband decided to start Mother Beverage in their hometown of Houston, Texas. [5] The company received a $400,000 investment on Shark Tank from Rohan Oza, which was used to rebrand Mother Beverage. In 2020, they renamed the soda "Poppi" to attract a more youthful and modern audience. [4]

The company raised a $13.5 million series A funding round in 2021 and a $25 million Series B round in 2022. [6]

In 2023, Poppi launched its Soda's Back ad campaign, which boosted brand visibility and in-store sales at over 120 stores, causing their revenue to surpass $100 million as of 2023. [7] As of 2024, the brand has had partnerships with celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Charli xcx, Russell Westbrook, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, & Lucas Cruikshank. [8] [9]

In 2024, the company began to distribute some of their products in Canada. [10]

Lawsuit

In 2024, a class-action lawsuit in California was filed against Poppi. [11] The suit alleged that the company misled consumers with false claims about the soda's gut benefits that were not backed by scientific evidence. [11] [12] Though the soda does contain inulin, a naturally soluble fiber, the plaintiffs claimed that the 2 grams of fiber within the drink are too low to create a meaningful effect for gut health. [13]  This lawsuit claims that the company violates California law with false and misleading advertising. [14] [5] In July 2025, the company agreed to settle the suit for $8.9 million. [15] A final hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for November 20, 2025. [11]

Acquisition by PepsiCo

In March 2025, PepsiCo announced it would acquire Poppi for $1.95 billion. [16] The deal was completed on May 19, 2025. [3]

Marketing

Poppi Soda's brand advertising includes music and sports as brand pillars. In 2023 Poppi Soda featured music by electronic pop artist Jane & The Boy in a TV Spot. [17] In 2024, Poppi announced a brand partnership with American rapper and singer Post Malone [18] in the wake of his public announcement that he would cut traditional soda from his diet. [19] Also in 2024 the brand debuted a sponsorship of the Los Angeles Lakers. [20] In 2025, Poppi Soda ran a second consecutive Super Bowl ad featuring Jake Shane and Alix Earle. [21]

Flavors

Poppi soda sold alongside other brands at a Publix supermarket in Orlando, Florida Soft drinks at a supermarket.jpg
Poppi soda sold alongside other brands at a Publix supermarket in Orlando, Florida

Poppi offers a variety of low-sugar flavors, each with 35 calories or less. [14] Available flavors include:

In June 2025, Poppi announced that they had reformulated their Root Beer flavour following complaints regarding the drink's weaker taste. [22]

References

  1. ↑ "PepsiCo Completes Acquisition of poppi, Accelerating Strategic Portfolio Transformation". Pepsico. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Why Poppi?". poppi. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "PepsiCo completes acquisition of Poppi". PR Newswire. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Burns, Emily (December 13, 2022). "Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi Raises $25 Million Seed Round". WWD.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  5. 1 2 McSwain, Megha. "Poppi Is Making Soda Cool Again". texasmonthly.com. Texas Monthly.
  6. ↑ Yu, Douglas. "Viral TikTok Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi Raises $25 Million Series B To Expand Nationwide Through DSD". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Soda's Back! Poppi Unveils Largest Consumer-Driven Ad Campaign, Bridging Streaming, Social and Out-of-Home Across Major Markets This Summer". PR Newswire. June 16, 2023. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Culture's Favorite Soda Poppi Adds Their Twist on a Classic Flavor With Launch of New Cherry Cola". PR Newswire. September 3, 2024. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ McClelland, Colin. "Making pop history: How a Shark Tank investment helped a prebiotic soft drink go viral". financialpost.com. Financial Post. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ poppi. "Culture's Favourite Soda poppi Makes International Debut in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 America, Good Morning. "Some Poppi consumers may be eligible to receive cash over 'gut healthy' soda settlement". Good Morning America. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  12. ↑ Wernars, Breanne (July 24, 2024). "Prebiotic or Placebo? False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Poppi Soda". JDSupra. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  13. ↑ Springer, Jon (June 4, 2024). "What's at Stake in Poppi's Gut Health Lawsuit: Viral Soda Brand had been Easing its Health Message in Favor of Lifestyle Marketing". Advertising Age. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Bendix, Aria (June 11, 2024). "New lawsuit challenges Poppi soda 'gut healthy' claims: What you need to know". www.nbcnews.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  15. ↑ Jr, Fernando Cervantes. "Poppi settles class action lawsuit for $8.9 million. Find out how to file a claim". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  16. ↑ Lucas, Amelia (March 17, 2025). "PepsiCo buys prebiotic soda brand Poppi for more than $1.6 billion". CNBC. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  17. ↑ Poppi TV Spot, 'Soda's Back' Song by Jane & The Boy. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025– via www.ispot.tv.
  18. ↑ Toneguzzi, Mario (September 19, 2024). "Musician Post Malone partners with beverage brand poppi". Retail Insider. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  19. ↑ Ibrahim, Samantha (August 18, 2023). "How Post Malone dropped 60 pounds while performing". Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  20. ↑ Meyers, ByAlyssa. "Poppi makes team sponsorship debut with the Los Angeles Lakers". Marketing Brew. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  21. ↑ Hicks, ByKatie. "How Poppi's Super Bowl vending machine campaign spiraled out of control". Marketing Brew. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  22. ↑ Gurley, Alex (June 4, 2025). "Soda Company Announces Formulation Change Following Criticism". Parade. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
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