The '82 Sprite' meme originated from a popular internet joke. This 'meme marketing' is seen as Sprite's strategy to please and urgently leave a memory point among young people, and is one of the brand's moves to get closer to the younger generation. "A bottle of '82 Sprite to calm the nerves." Sprite from 1982 is undrinkable, but a tribute to '82 Sprite is possible. Recently, Sprite launched a limited-edition 'Tribute to 1982 Lemon Flavored Soda,' finally turning this meme, popular in various emojis, into reality. Before the official release, many distributors and netizens couldn't contain their anticipation and excitement, 'spoiling' it online in advance. Currently available only in the Chinese market, it is being rolled out on e-commerce platforms and convenience stores. '82 Lafite' is a very old internet meme, representing wealth and luxury. But since most netizens have never tasted '82 Lafite, the meme evolved into more relatable versions like '82 boiled water' or '82 soy sauce.' It wasn't until the 2014 Lantern Festival Gala that a sketch depicted people in the early reform era trying red wine but, not liking the taste, mixing it with Sprite. From then on, the '82 Sprite' meme began to spread widely. Originally a humorous joke, but unexpectedly, 10 years later, Sprite officially joined in the fun and actually launched '82 Sprite.' Meme marketing, in the view of most marketers, represents ultra-high traffic, continuous brand culture output, and marketing drivers that boost sales. The ability to create memes is also considered a standard feature of brands in today's era. However, after a brand creates a meme, achieving wider dissemination requires more marketing costs to deepen user memory, and it only works through repeated reinforcement. Leveraging existing memes, on the other hand, means finding the connection between a viral meme and the brand, going with the flow, and saving marketing costs. '82 Sprite' is really here The phrase 'Let me have a glass of '82 Sprite to calm my nerves,' which became popular at a Spring Festival Gala, has been widely circulated and has become a way for young people to tease each other. Over time, this meme has not been forgotten by consumers and is even mentioned frequently in the meme culture era. Recently, Sprite took it seriously and actually launched an '82 Sprite,' making netizens exclaim, 'Some memes, as you play with them, actually come true.' This also means that asking for a bottle of '82 Sprite is no longer just a joke. When you post the '82 Sprite' emoji online, did you ever think that one day you could actually hold it in your hands? This July, Sprite really launched the '82 Sprite. You can collect '82 Lafite, but can you also collect '82 Sprite? It is understood that this limited-edition series, based on Sprite's classic lemon flavor, adds other unique flavors. The packaging also follows a retro style, with dark green bottles and gold lettering '1982,' available in both glass and PET versions. On the evening of July 5, Sprite's official Weibo held a 'Sprite Tribute to 1982' global first auction and will also launch a series of themed activities. Netizens commented on Sprite's move, saying things like 'Official meme play is the most lethal,' 'Bring out my 1982 vintage Sprite,' 'The more serious it is, the funnier it gets'... Sprite, a beverage brand under Coca-Cola, was launched in 1961 and officially entered China in 1984, seemingly unrelated to '82. In fact, '82 Sprite' originates from a popular internet meme. This 'meme marketing' is considered Sprite's strategy to please and urgently leave a memory point among young people, and is one of the brand's moves to get closer to the younger generation. In the view of Wu Daiqi, CEO of Shenzhen Sishengqi Company, the '82 Sprite' product and activities use internet memes to create buzz, expressing the brand's classic nature while also attracting consumer attention and generating discussion, thereby achieving content marketing effects. As Liu Yuyun, Vice President of Marketing for Coca-Cola Greater China, once said, 'As one of the iconic brands in the Chinese market, we will continue to build Sprite as a classic brand for the new generation of Chinese consumers.' In recent years, Sprite has targeted Generation Z, frequently attracting young consumers through packaging renewals and product upgrades. In 2022, Sprite launched a new visual series in China, upgraded its sugar-free product line from one to three products, and engaged in marketing around hot topics like music festivals and the World Cup. Behind the urgency to please young people is the intensifying competition in the domestic carbonated beverage market, where traditional brands like Sprite are facing a crisis of market share loss. In the more than 30 years since Sprite entered the Chinese market, the new generation of consumers has more diverse choices for carbonated beverage brands. Data from the Prospective Industry Research Institute shows that from 2020 to 2021, brands like Mingren and Genki Forest increased their market share in China's carbonated beverage market, while Sprite's market share did not increase, and well-known old brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mirinda, and 7UP saw their market shares decline. Specifically, Coca-Cola's financial reports show that in 2022, its China business declined, with single-serve volume in the Asia-Pacific region dropping 1% in the fourth quarter. Young people are the main consumer group for carbonated drinks. Facing market share loss, traditional carbonated beverage brands are all making efforts in 'Gen Z marketing' to attract young consumers. In May 2023, Coca-Cola's global creative platform 'Coca-Cola Creations' launched a limited-edition product inspired by the game 'League of Legends,' aiming to align with youth trends and further expand the young consumer market. Pepsi also engaged in cross-border marketing collaborations with the World Cup and 'Honor of Kings' based on Gen Z preferences. In the industry's view, behind the youth-oriented marketing of traditional carbonated beverage brands like Sprite is the urgency to leave a memory point among the new generation of consumers, build an emotional connection with young people, and win back young consumers. Wu Daiqi said, 'With the rise of domestic brands, internet-famous brands, and other soda categories, old carbonated beverage brands do face certain competitive pressure.' Emerging brands like Genki Forest have already penetrated the minds of the new generation, to some extent seizing market share from traditional carbonated drinks. To compete for young users, brands need to adopt marketing methods more suitable for young people, such as co-branding activities and topic marketing. Additionally, carbonated beverage brands also need to start from the product side, such as innovating sub-product lines or sub-brands to respond actively. Regarding the above, our reporter contacted Coca-Cola for comment, but had not received a reply by press time. High-end auction to create buzz Although the '82 Sprite' continues the classic lemon flavor, Sprite has added other unique flavors, blending with the freshness of lemon and the crispness of carbonation for a different taste experience. Looking at netizen feedback, some tasted watermelon, some floral, and some white peach, with a general consensus that it's richer than regular Sprite. Some like it, some complain. But regardless, the official launch of '82 Sprite' has already generated a lot of buzz, with significant discussion on social media platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin, earning plenty of traffic. With retro packaging, unique flavor, and a limited-time, limited-quantity release strategy, Sprite's '82 Sprite' is clearly positioned as high-end and premium. To further highlight its premium status, Sprite also held a 'Sprite Tribute to 1982' global first auction. ▲ Source: Sprite's official Weibo That's right, Sprite tells us that not only artworks, antiques, and wine can be auctioned, but a bottle of Sprite can also be auctioned. Before watching the entire auction, I thought it was just a gimmick to drive traffic to the livestream, but after watching it all, my only feeling is that Sprite put in a lot of effort. The entire auction was classy, with a band of cellos and violins, and 'national CEO' Wang Yaoqing as the auctioneer in a suit, drinking Sprite from tall red wine glasses, full of ceremony and luxury. ▲ Source: Coca-Cola Douyin livestream As for the auction items, Sprite launched five luxury gift boxes. If you think the first box, which was bid at 163 yuan and included engraving on the glass bottle, is not worth it, don't rush to complain; the benefits of the other four will surely blow your mind. For example, the 'Premium Delivery Gift Box' includes a wooden barrel gift box with '82 Sprite' glass bottles, plus 5 hours of luxury car rental, a male attendant, a photographer, and full travel services. The most extravagant were the two auctions for a box containing 1,982 bottles of Sprite plus a special tribute number, which were won by two netizens for 337 yuan and 333 yuan respectively. In other words, for just over 300 yuan, they can own 1,982 bottles of Sprite, enough to last more than a year. ▲ Source: Coca-Cola Douyin livestream The most luxurious auction was the opportunity to visit the Longdai Winery in Yantai, Shandong, with round-trip airfare, hotel, and meals covered by Sprite. Even if you can't travel, you can exchange it for a Ctrip gift package worth 7,000 yuan. The final price for this auction was 586.19 yuan. ▲ Source: Coca-Cola Douyin livestream Interestingly, Longdai Winery is owned by the same group as Château Lafite Rothschild, which connects '82 Sprite' with '82 Lafite,' making their prestige comparable. Using wine marketing tactics to market Sprite, it's fair to say Sprite is really 'not short on money.' Maybe some netizens will say, isn't this just official meme play to harvest fans? That's not wrong, after all, it's all business. So from that perspective, selling it at 6.5 yuan per bottle is fine, especially since it uses white sugar, and it's from '82. Daring to officially join in the meme play is what's truly explosive. This article is compiled from: Beijing Business Today, Internet Brand Official, Marketing Tactics