SoBe Takes Aim at Rivals in First TV Ads

Beverage maker SoBe, trying to move the brand beyond its underground following to the mass market, is launching its first television ad campaign with a promise that its funky-flavored tea and juice drinks will make you cool.

The commercial shows a teenage “wannabe” drawn to SoBe by three alternative sports stars. Lacking the necessary hipness, he is unable to open the cooler where drinks are stashed.

SoBe, founded in 1996 and now a unit of PepsiCo Inc.’s Pepsi-Cola North America, gained an underground following through sponsorships of sports such as mountain biking and skateboarding but now is looking to television as it seeks to appeal to mainstream consumers.

The first spot also takes direct aim at a much larger rival, Snapple. The teenager forsakes the Snapple Iced Tea he holds when he is lured by the athletes’ choice of SoBe.

Snapple, which began as a local brand in 1972 before being scooped up by larger competitors, is owned by Cadbury Schweppes.

Marketing experts said trying to bring an underground drink to the masses has its risks.

“Core users of a cult brand don’t necessarily like to share it with the world,” said Mark DiMassimo of DiMassimo Brand Advertising. “Look at Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry’s: Companies that grow from a cult following almost never use advertising in the traditional sense.”

Ironically, one of the few success stories in bringing an underground brand to a broader range of consumers is Snapple itself.

Before the SoBe commercial, which debuts today and will appear on cable networks such as MTV and ESPN, SoBe concentrated on grass-roots and so-called guerrilla marketing efforts such as handing out samples at sporting events.

SoBe Chief Executive John Bello said the company will spend $6million to $10 million over four months to air the ads.