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Eater
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
We, As Kitsch-Lovers, Approve of OLIPOP's New Retro-Cool Hotel Rooms
Leave it to a soda brand to bring me the kitsch hotel stay of my dreams. OLIPOP — as in, yes, the prebiotic soda company that has us addicted to its gut-friendly facsimiles for root beer, cream soda, and Hawaiian Punch — has decided to enter the world of unique hotel stays by launching a series of retro-inspired, themed, ephemeral hotel rooms in Austin, Texas. And as my coworker and I confirmed to one another on Slack, 'the rooms are actually so cute.' Feast your eyes on my personal favorite, crowned the 2002 Cherry Cola Suite: It feels like no collaboration is off-limits in this new era of chaos marketing (see: the new Tresemmé hot sauce), and while a lot of these food collaborations balloon into surrealist territory that steers them away from brand authenticity, I'm absolutely here for the fantasy that OLIPOP is pitching us, which is that of a 'Time Travel Agency' takeover of the Austin Motel from June 24 to July 8. As OLIPOP explains, 'guests can enter for a chance to win one of three immersive, soda-inspired suites [that bring] an OLIPOP flavor to life through the lens of a different decade.' In addition to the Cherry Cola Suite, there will also be a 1986 Cream Soda Suite decked out in pastel stripes, neon lights, and retro arcade details… … As well as the 1995 Strawberry Vanilla Suite, which pays homage to OLIPOP's (honestly very taste) Strawberry Vanilla prebiotic soda, and is described by the company as having 'all-pink everything and '90s maximalism at its finest.' All of the rooms feel inspired by theatrically decorated, vintage-inspired hotels and motels like the iconic The Madonna Inn (as seen in many a photo shoot and music video), upstate New York's The Roxbury (known for its coconut-cream-pie-themed room), and the numerous themed couples' hotels in the Poconos. Over the years, Airbnb and other brands have offered elaborate, raffle-based themed hotel stays — often, to promote the likes of Hocus Pocus 2 or Shrek (the latter of which had an incredible swamp set-up), so it's actually nice to see another company throw its vacation hat into the ring in a way that doesn't feel haphazardly inauthentic. It has also been a big year for soda, from the 'dirty' concoctions of Mormon wives to Addison Rae's earworm 'Diet Pepsi' — which evokes a smart branding nod to Britney Spears' 2000s partnership with the company (even if Spears was adamant about not drinking diet Pepsi, 'just regular Pepsi'). In any case, I will absolutely co-sign the creation of more kitsch hotel rooms, particularly when it feels like America's own retro love hotels are increasingly going out of business. Will OLIPOP continue to dip its toes into more experimental — and experiential — marketing techniques à la Liquid Death? Time will tell if the company veers into similar shock marketing territory, but I hope it stays the course of curating activations with identity coherency. Oh, and shag rugs. Learn more about how to stay at OLIPOP's themed rooms here . See More: Add to Cart Eater at Home Shopping and Pantry Guides Travel Guides
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Coca-Cola rival shares wild new Amazon partnership
I am not averse to paying a premium subscription price for a streaming service if it means I get to skip the 30-second commercials spliced into movies and TV shows. Yet I have happily watched some of the unboxing videos that fill my social media feed, even if the person is oohing and ahhing over something I have no intention of purchasing. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Perhaps it's because those unboxing videos evoke the excitement of opening presents on one's birthday or Christmas morning. Or maybe it's the soothing sound of rustling boxes or fingernails clicking on products (yes, I admit it's relaxing). Related: Coca-Cola makes biggest bet in 133 years Apparently, I'm not alone. YouTube alone has clocked around 4.8 billion views per year for unboxing videos, according to data from Zipdo. Where do all these unboxing videos come from? Celebrities and social media influencers with high follower counts are often sent free, aesthetically pleasing PR packages by brands that encourage them to hit record as they open them. The mission, of course, is to convert those followers to paying customers. Most content creators love getting free stuff, and they love posting about it even more. Brands dedicate staff and budgets to forging these influencer connections. Related: PepsiCo lawsuit alleges company deceived consumers It's not just a shot in the dark, because social media users are giving unboxing videos more than just a cursory glance. The average watch time for unboxing videos is a whopping eight minutes long, per Zipdo. Clearly unboxing videos work - to the tune of 84% of social media users stating that these videos influence their purchasing decisions. And 52% of consumers say they've gone ahead and bought a product after watching a video. Capturing a sale from one out of every two social media users is a pretty big feat. And now one Coca-Cola rival is hoping to find that same success with unboxing videos this summer. Image source: Shutterstock Olipop better-for-you prebiotic sodas contain fiber and just 2-5 grams of sugar per can. Founded in 2018, the company has been valued at $1.85 billion and is the top non-alcoholic brand in the U.S. by dollar sales and unit growth, per Marketing Dive. The big brand has even bigger summer plans. For starters, it's running a "Time Travel Agency" sweepstakes, where entrants can win a stay in a flavor-themed retro motel suite in Austin this summer. It is also teaming up with Amazon Ads to offer 5,000 VIP boxes containing cans of Olipop's most popular flavors, along with a limited-edition cooler tote and a few other summer-related goodies. But there's something unique about the PR swag drop coming on June 30. The boxes cost just five cents (the original price of a soda can, the company says), and they'll be available to anyone who can grab one before supplies run out. More beverage news: Coca-Cola finally brings viral soda mash-upPizza Hut makes big menu change amid startling customer behaviorStruggling brewery, beer scene reaches a sad milestone Why is Olipop going for everyday consumers rather than established influencers? The FAQs on the PR box signup page read: "Because where would we be without our fans? (Answer: absolutely nowhere.) This one's for the people who made us - because you don't need millions of followers to get our attention. Just love for great soda." Olipop is wise to try to stand out from the pre-/probiotic beverage crowd. PepsiCo announced in March that it will proceed with the nearly $2 billion purchase of Poppi, while Coca-Cola went ahead with its own version, called Simply Pop. With that said, watching a video about soda is different than viewing one to see how a lipstick color looks, the way a shirt fits, or even how easy it is to use a gadget. For beverages, you have to rely on the person's reaction to the taste, along with their description of flavors. Related: Upstart nutrition brand rivals Red Bull with unusual energy drink That's why the know-like-trust factor is so important with influencer marketing. But how much of that factor exists with everyday social media users who don't have much of a platform? Considering anyone with a nickel and good timing can get in on Olipop's PR drop, the company's strategy might be expecting too much from unboxing videos this summer. Only time will tell whether this campaign will pop - or if it will be a bust. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
