Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand, delivered more than 32 bright pink vending machines to selected content creators and WAGS (wives and girlfriends of athletes) as part of its “Soda Thoughts” campaign. The brand intended to create positive buzz ahead of its Super Bowl commercial, but instead faced some backlash.

After receiving free cans of Poppi dispensed from the aesthetic vending machines, many of the influencers documented their unboxing experiences for their large online followings. The initiative, however, has generated significant negative feedback on social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

“Spent millions for a Super Bowl ad, then sent vending machines to already rich influencers,” reads one comment on Poppi’s TikTok post. “What happened to regular everyday people you used to care about?”

The controversy intensified when competitor Olipop joined the conversation, claiming in social media comments that each vending machine cost $25,000. “For the record, those machines cost $25K each lol,” Olipop wrote in comments sections across multiple videos.

In an X post, replying to a user who has received Olipop products as gifs, the company took another jab at Poppi, writing, “we don’t have vending machines but who wants a jersey !!”

Source: @isabellalanter

Poppi told Inc. that the $25,000 price tag was “fabricated” and specified that the price was inflated by 60%.

Social media consultant Jack Appleby characterized the backlash as unprecedented in influencer marketing. “This is a totally new reaction we almost never see in influencer marketing. And this exact idea has been done countless times successfully,” Appleby wrote on LinkedIn, challenging critics who suggest Poppi should have anticipated the response.

As Appleby suggests, the public response may signal a shift in consumer attitudes toward influencer marketing rather than a misstep by Poppi. “Can we take it as a sign that audience interests are changing? YES! Can we learn from this? YES!” he noted.

Poppi’s Response and Future Plans

In response to the backlash, Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth addressed the controversy directly through TikTok. “There’s a lot of misinformation being spread out there by one of our competitors, from our plans to the price tag of 25k, which is not what it costs, and that is not true,” Ellsworth said in a video.

The company maintains that the vending machines were never intended for one-time use. “These were never intended for one-time use, and both creators across the U.S. and people in New Orleans received these machines, with our first consumer event taking place at the popular Tulane hot spot ‘The Boot,’” Farial Moss, Poppi’s Director of PR & Communication, told Newsweek.

Poppi has outlined plans to expand the campaign’s reach. “These vending machines will be a part of the brand for years to come, and we want to work with you guys to get them out to the places you’d like to see them out in the world,” Ellsworth explained in her video statement.

She noted that the machines would be distributed through events, social giveaways, and nominations in the coming weeks. Potential locations include teacher’s lounges, sororities, and fraternities, according to Ellsworth’s statement.

Newsweek notes that similar approaches have been employed by companies like Gisou, which have sent branded installations directly to influencers’ homes.

Creator @shwinnabegobrand contextualized the campaign’s budget on Instagram, noting that brands regularly spend more than $800,000 on television advertisements or large-scale marketing efforts. 

“Spending $800,000 for this kind of exposure is not that crazy,” the creator stated in his video, adding, “The fact that Poppi is getting this much reach and this much additional conversation is an absolutely great win for Poppi.”

Poppi vs. Olipop

The social media controversy unfolds against a backdrop of intense competition between the two prebiotic soda brands. 

According to Modern Retail, Poppi escalated its marketing efforts in 2024, investing over $43 million in advertising between January and April alone—nearly six times its entire 2023 spending of $7.3 million.

This aggressive marketing strategy appears to be yielding results, with Bevnet reporting that Poppi’s U.S. retail dollar sales grew by 167.1% to reach $553.5 million in the 52 weeks ending September 21, 2024. The Daily Upside notes that by February 2024, Poppi had become Amazon’s top-selling soft drink with a 19% market share, surpassing Coca-Cola on the platform.

Olipop, meanwhile, has maintained strong growth trajectories of its own. According to Bevnet, the brand recorded a 129.2% increase in U.S. retail dollar sales, reaching $528.2 million during the same 52-week period. 

CreatorIQ data shows Olipop generated approximately $60 million in Earned Media Value (EMV) in 2023, representing 60% of the combined EMV between the two brands.