By: Alexandra Liguori, 2025

In early 2025, the prebiotic soda brand Poppi launched a bold influencer campaign during Super Bowl weekend. As part of the activation, the company gifted full-sized branded vending machines stocked with Poppi sodas to influencers across the U.S. (Caruso, 2025). These creators, including social media icons such as Jake Shane and Rachel Sullivan, posted content flaunting the personalized machines, presenting the campaign as quirky, exclusive, and over the top.

But online, the response was far from celebratory. Social media users criticized the campaign for being out of touch, pointing out that Poppi could have sent machines to community members, frontline workers, or schools instead. Some creators even posted critiques of the company’s approach, arguing it lacked heart and overlooked more potentially meaningful opportunities to support communities, schools or frontline workers (Craighead, 2025). The campaign, designed to go viral and feel fun, instead sparked backlash and broader conversations about privilege, brand values, and wastefulness in influencer marketing.

Despite Poppi’s attempt to clarify its intentions through a TikTok response from founder Allison Ellsworth, the brand’s image took a hit. This case study explores how an influencer-heavy campaign with little public framing or value alignment turned into a reputational challenge for a fast-growing cola alternative.

Context

Poppi: A fast-growing health beverage company marketing prebiotic soda as a trendy alternative to traditional soft drinks. Known for pastel branding and viral influencer support.

Influencers and Creators: Popular TikTokers and Instagram creators who received the vending machines and shared them online.

Audiences: Segmented groups of consumers, social media users, and online communities who responded critically, questioning the campaign’s purpose, impact, and tone.

Olipop: A direct competitor to Poppi that stoked the controversy further by spreading misinformation about the campaign’s cost and intent.

As part of the campaign rollout, Poppi sent out dozens of vending machines to influencers with the goal of amplifying brand visibility during the Super Bowl. The push also included a high-profile Super Bowl commercial, reinforcing the brand’s influencer-heavy strategy and maximizing reach across both digital and traditional media. The campaign was rooted in Poppi’s long-standing use of influencer marketing, but the execution came off as insensitive. Many viewers questioned why a health brand that prides itself on community would send expensive equipment to creators who already have access to perks and products. The narrative only worsened when rival brand Olipop publicly claimed the machines cost $25,000 each, a figure Poppi later stated was inaccurate (Caruso, 2025).

Goals of the Campaign

Poppi’s campaign set out three main goals:

• Drive brand awareness during one of the year’s biggest marketing moments: the Super Bowl.
• Activate influencer marketing through memorable, visually striking content.
• Reinforce Poppi’s identity as a cool, community driven cola alternative.

As People reported, the campaign aimed to “surprise and delight,” but for many online viewers, it had the opposite effect (Caruso, 2025).

Actions Taken

Poppi launched the campaign by delivering branded vending machines to high profile creators. The influencers were encouraged to share unboxing videos, comedic skits, or reaction clips that showcased the machines in their homes. The goal was to flood social feeds with user-generated excitement and associate Poppi with fun, Super Bowl-style extravagance (Phillippi, 2025).

But shortly after the content went live, backlash spread quickly across TikTok and Instagram. Thousands of critical comments and several viral videos reframed the campaign as excessive and out of touch, overshadowing Poppi’s intended message. Critics argued the campaign was excessive and misdirected, with commenters asking why such machines weren’t sent to teachers, nurses, or schools (Ray, 2025). One TikTok creator summed up the sentiment in a now-viral video: “Let’s stop with the out of touch BS, please” (Miller, 2025). The narrative quickly shifted from “how cool” to “how disconnected.”

Adding fuel to the fire, competitor brand Olipop began commenting under the videos, alleging that each machine cost $25,000. The actual cost of the vending machines was never disclosed, but Poppi asserted the price was incorrect (Caruso, 2025). Still, the damage was done. The campaign became less about soda and more about brand values or the lack thereof.

In response, Poppi founder Allison Ellsworth posted a TikTok video addressing the backlash. She clarified that the campaign was always meant to celebrate creators and their communities during the Super Bowl and denied the $25K price tag. While she acknowledged consumer feedback and promised to “learn and do better,” critics still viewed the response as reactive, not proactive or people centered (Miller, 2025).

Outcome

The campaign drew major attention, but not in the way Poppi intended. As Vice noted, Poppi “became the villain of its own marketing campaign,” with social media users questioning the brand’s authenticity and priorities (Phillippi, 2025). The backlash wasn’t just about money; it reflected a broader frustration with performative marketing and influencer-first branding. From a PR perspective, this highlights how audiences expect authenticity and value-driven campaigns. When brands fail to align messaging with stakeholder expectations, trust and credibility are put at risk.

Even after Poppi aired a polished Super Bowl commercial, the vending machine controversy stuck. As The Drum explained, the company “alienated their loyal base in pursuit of influencer hype,” sparking discussions about how much trust audiences still have in creator-led campaigns (Ray, 2025).

PR Analysis and Learning Points

Transparency builds trust.

One of the more piercing issues with the campaign was the lack of upfront explanation. Poppi didn’t clearly communicate its goals, leaving consumers to interpret the stunt however they wanted, which many did. As People reported, what was supposed to be a joyful campaign instead felt exclusionary and performative (Caruso, 2025). Clear public messaging from the start could have softened the reaction or changed the narrative entirely.

You have to own the message.

Poppi relied heavily on creators to tell the story, but when the story started going south, the brand wasn’t fast enough to redirect it. Influencers criticized the campaign in real time, calling it “cringe” and “out of touch” (Craighead, 2025). Strong PR leadership depends on getting ahead of the story before it spins out of control. If Poppi had framed the campaign’s purpose from the start and engaged audiences early, they could have steered how people interpreted it and reduced negative reactions. Being proactive doesn’t just protect a brand’s reputation; it also shows that the company is transparent, accountable, and in control of its own story.

Account for possible backfire.

Sending massive, branded machines to well-off influencers without offering something to everyday fans was a risk that didn’t pay off. As The Drum noted, Poppi seemed to ignore the values of its existing base in favour of viral hype (Ray, 2025). Good PR considers every audience and finds balance between visibility and substance.

Your response matters.

When Ellsworth finally responded via TikTok, her tone was calm, but the message felt a step behind. As The Independent noted, the response was “corporate, not human,” and didn’t include any concrete next steps (Miller, 2025). Audiences today expect brands to take ownership and do something, not just say something for the sake of responding.

Brand image means nothing without following through.

Poppi’s visual branding screams positivity, accessibility, and wellness. But the vending machine stunt made many question whether those values were more surface than substance. As Vice put it, Poppi accidentally cast itself as “out-of-touch,” which is a major blow for a brand built on community vibes (Phillippi, 2025).

PR shapes reputation.

Poppi gained attention, but not admiration. That’s the difference between marketing and PR. While marketing can generate impressions, public relations is about building real, lasting relationships. This campaign missed that mark by focusing more on spectacle than connection.

Conclusion

Poppi’s vending machine misstep is a reminder that major campaigns need to be rooted in authenticity. While the idea may have looked good on paper with high visibility, social buzz, and influencer support, it lacked the transparency, alignment, and audience awareness needed to resonate in the real world. Public relations isn’t just about standing out. It’s about showing up with purpose, listening to feedback, and building trust through action. Poppi’s campaign shows what happens when companies skip those steps. This was ultimately a marketing mistake that turned into a PR problem, proving how fast flashy ideas without real substance can backfire. PR is more than getting noticed, it’s about being intentional, paying attention to your audience, and building trust through meaningful action.

References

Caruso, S. (2025, February 12). Poppi is getting backlash for their vending machine stunt with influencers : Here’s why the internet is up in arms. People.com. https://people.com/poppi-vending-machine-influencer-drama-explained-11678871

Craighead, O. (2025, February 11). What’s going on with the poppi vending machine controversy? The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/article/poppi-vending-machine-influencers-controversy-explained.html

Miller, B. (2025, February 12). Soda alternative Poppi defends gifting full-sized vending machines after backlash. The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/poppi-vending-machines-soda-super-bowl-commercial-b2696620.html

Phillippi, K. (2025, February 17). Poppi made everyone mad with their vending machine stunt. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/poppi-made-everyone-mad-with-their-vending-machine-stunt/

Ray, J. (2025, February 17). Where Poppi went wrong with vending machine misfire. The Drum. https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2025/02/17/where-poppi-went-wrong-with-vending-machine-misfire