PepsiCo's Starry Makes a Splash With Keke Palmer and Soda Man

Soda Man will quench us all!

Actress/singer Keke Palmer and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey help PepsiCo introduce its Starry lemon-lime soft drink in a :30 from VaynerMedia.

The brand’s animated mascots Lem and Lime appear, too. But the aforementioned Soda Man—a ripped, rippling Romeo born of the effervescent beverage—steals the show (along with Keke’s heart).

She’s, like, drinking his face!

The creative approach feels busy, with perhaps too many elements. And yet … Soda Man! Dude ripples with goofy energy and makes the spot work almost in spite of itself.

It’s certainly memorable, which is doubtless what the brand’s shooting for as it begins a tenure as the official soft drink of the NBA, WBNA and NBA G League.

“The commercial is so cool. First of all, it premieres during NBA All-Star Weekend, which I’m so pumped about,” Palmer tells Vibe. “[Pepsi is] a legacy brand, but then when you think about Starry, I also get the opportunity to introduce a new drink to the world.”

Leaning heavily into hoops, Sprite-rival Starry endorsers include NBA stars Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine and Klay Thompson, plus the WNBA’s A’ja Wilson. The brand—which dunked Sierra Mist into nonexistence last month, replacing that brand—will serve as presenting sponsor for the WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest and support the league’s Live Fan Festival.

CREDITS

Agency: VaynerMedia
Rob Lenois – Chief Creative Officer
Mike Pierantozzi – Executive Creative Director
Chris Greer – Creative Director/AD
Nick Greenberg – Associate Creative Director/Copy
Anne Flavin – VP, Group Account Director
Bruce Andreini – SVP
Karla Macias – Senior Producer
Alaina Zuniga – Senior Account Director
Shenneth Dove-Morse – Account Supervisor
Megan Lavelle – Business Affairs Manager

Client: PepsiCo
Michael Smith – Head of Marketing
Yasmin Grant – Head of Communications
Brendan Mallick – Marketing Manager
Louis DeCosmo – Director, Brand Communications
Jayme Mizzoni – Manager, Brand Communications
Louis Arbetter – VP, Content
Barry Rosen – President Direct Focus

Film Production: SUPERPRIME/ProdCo
Director – Rick Darge & Ian Pons Jewell
Producer – Lisa Ruffler
Production Supervisor – Kathy Hofmann
Managing Director – Rebecca Skjinner
Managing Director/Sales – Michelle Ross
EP – Maddi Carlton
HOP – Matt Sanders

Editorial: The Den Editorial
Editor – Tobias Suhm
EP – Jennifer Mersis
Sr Post Producer – Kortney Rubottom
Assistant Editor – Evan Carp
Post Production Coordinator – Zachary Stoner

VFX/Finishing: The Mill
Senior EP – Mandy Harris
ECD VFX Sup – Gavin Wellsman
CD / VFX Sup: Vadim Turchin
Senior Producer: Catherine Fischer
Senior Producer: Katharine Mulderry

Music: Squeak E Clean Studios
Creative Director – Rob Barbato
EP- Kit Winter
Producer – Kleio Kolitsopoulos
Composer – Matthew Compton

Sound Design/Mix: Deaf Mule
Engineers –  Carlo Gonzalez, Juan Zavala, Gio Locatelli
Producer – Victor Macias