Poppi (drink)

Poppi
Logo used since 2019
A can of Poppi Strawberry Lemon
TypePrebiotic soda
ManufacturerPepsiCo
DistributorPepsiCo
Country of origin United States
Region of originAustin, Texas, U.S.[1]
Introduced2018 (2018)
Websitedrinkpoppi.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 30 calories or less. 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.[2]

History

Background

Poppi was initially founded as Mother Beverage by couple Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. The pair appeared on Shark Tank under the name Mother Beverage in 2018.[3] 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, Austin, Texas.[4] The company was given a $400,000 investment on Shark Tank by Rohan Oza, which was used to rebrand Mother Beverage. In 2020, they renamed the soda "Poppi" to attract a more youthful and modern audience.[3]

The company raised a $13.5 million series A funding round in 2021 and a $25 million Series B round in 2022.[5]

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.[6] As of 2024, the brand has had partnerships with celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, & Lucas Cruikshank.[7][8]

In 2024, the company began to distribute some of their products in Canada.[9]

Lawsuit

In 2024, a class-action lawsuit in California was filed against Poppi.[10] Brought on by attorney Kristen Cobbs, the suit alleged that the company misled consumers with false claims about the soda's gut benefits that were not backed by scientific evidence.[10][11] Though the soda does contain inulin, a naturally soluble fiber, Cobbs claimed that the 2 grams of fiber within the drink is too low to create a meaningful effect for gut health.[12] This lawsuit claims that the company violates California law with false and misleading advertising.[13][4] In July 2025, the company agreed to settle the suit for $8.9 million.[14] A final hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for November 20, 2025.[10]

Acquisition by PepsiCo

In March 2025, PepsiCo announced it would acquire Poppi for $1.95 billion.[15] The deal was completed on May 19, 2025.[2]

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.[16] In 2024, Poppi announced a brand partnership with American rapper and singer Post Malone[17] in the wake of his public announcement that he would cut traditional soda from his diet.[18] Also in 2024 the brand debuted a sponsorship of the Los Angeles Lakers.[19]

Flavors

Poppi offers a variety of low-sugar flavors, each with 25 calories or less.[13] Available flavors include:

  • Classic Cola
  • Root Beer
  • Watermelon
  • Cherry Limeade
  • Grape
  • Raspberry Rose
  • Ginger Lime
  • Lemon Lime
  • Wild Berry
  • Orange Cream
  • Cherry Cola
  • Strawberry Lemon
  • Orange
  • Doc Pop
  • Cream Soda
  • Alpine Blast (citrus)
  • Cranberry Fizz (seasonal)
  • Punch Pop (seasonal)

In June 2025, Poppi announced that they had reformulated their Root Beer flavour following complaints regarding the drink's weaker taste.[20]

References

  1. ^ "PepsiCo Completes Acquisition of poppi, Accelerating Strategic Portfolio Transformation". Pepsico. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "PepsiCo completes acquisition of Poppi". PR Newswire. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ a b McSwain, Megha. "Poppi Is Making Soda Cool Again". texasmonthly.com. Texas Monthly.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ poppi. "Culture's Favourite Soda poppi Makes International Debut in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c America, Good Morning. "Some Poppi consumers may be eligible to receive cash over 'gut healthy' soda settlement". Good Morning America. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  11. ^ Wernars, Breanne (July 24, 2024). "Prebiotic or Placebo? False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Poppi Soda". JDSupra. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ a b 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Lucas, Amelia (March 17, 2025). "PepsiCo buys prebiotic soda brand Poppi for more than $1.6 billion". CNBC. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Toneguzzi, Mario (September 19, 2024). "Musician Post Malone partners with beverage brand poppi". Retail Insider. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Meyers, ByAlyssa. "Poppi makes team sponsorship debut with the Los Angeles Lakers". Marketing Brew. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  20. ^ Gurley, Alex (June 4, 2025). "Soda Company Announces Formulation Change Following Criticism". Parade. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
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