Sprite + Tea hits the market on the heels of last summer’s hit Sprite Chill, which became the No. 1 selling sparkling soft drink innovation at Coca‑Cola in 2024, earning a sustaining spot in the Sprite portfolio lineup. Schaufelberger said the team hopes Sprite + Tea will become a year-over-year seasonal offering like the holiday fan-favorite Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry.
“The Sprite + Tea concept started out as an intern research project, which is really fun and interesting,” adds A.P. Chaney, Senior Creative Director, Sparkling Flavors North America. “When it blew up on TikTok with millions of views, it was a gut check that we were on the right track. Because you never go wrong when you listen to consumers and tap into what they’re doing by becoming part of their everyday.”
Flavor innovations are a growth driver for Sprite, which is now the No. 3 sparkling soft drink brand in North America. LTOs present a fun creative challenge for the Sprite team due to limited time in market and the need to communicate multiple messages. “I love innovations, because we can take bigger swings with our marketing,” Chaney added. “Sprite has never rested on our laurels, so we’ll always continue to push ourselves to do what’s right for our consumers and the business with innovations like Sprite + Tea.”