The many, many people obsessed with Sprite’s new Chill flavor have reason to celebrate, with news the company is making the beverage a part of its permanent lineup. Originally intended to be just a limited-time offering, Sprite Chill launched in August 2024 and was an immediate megahit amongst soda fans who raved about the addictive cherry-lime flavor and cooling sensation.
According to Marketing Dive, Sprite Chill made $50 million in retail sales after just 21 weeks, making it the top-selling new Coca-Cola product of the year—so giving the drink a permanent spot was a “no brainer”.
“[Chill] grew Sprite trademark household penetration, which is amazing in a mature category. It recruited consumers into the trademark, which is unbelievable and a standard we always want to achieve with innovation,” brand director Kate Schaufelberger said. Thanks to a fantastic marketing campaign centered around basketball and Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young (Ice Trae), the drink got 1 billion media impressions with 98% positive feedback. “We not only achieved business results, but put something out in the market that consumers really, really responded to.”
Fans raved about the new flavor from day one, mourning the fact it was intended to be a limited-time only item. “I prefer it to regular Sprite actually. Sad part is it’s likely for a limited time only,” one fan said. “I actually love it,” another Redditor shared. “I’ve never been much of a Sprite fan, and rarely bother with caffeine free soda. But I have this thing where I have to try new soda when it comes out just to try it. And I really love it. It might make me a Sprite fan honestly.” More than one soda fan said the new Chill beverages were superior to regular Sprite. “I tried it and think it’s the best thing ever ever had lol. I won’t drink any other soda now like at all. I was a big Sprite drinker though now I don’t even care for regular Sprite,” one fan said.
It looks like Sprite Chill Strawberry Kiwi, an exclusive Walmart collaboration, is also joining the permanent portfolio. Sprite calls the original Sprite Chill the “cold-est in the game”, with a proprietary blend of ingredients that makes the drink colder with each sip, without the addition of mint. “Consumers today are looking for multisensorial beverage experiences, so we saw a unique opportunity to elevate the crisp, refreshing taste Sprite fans expect with a first-of-its-kind cooling sensation,” said Felicity Boucetla, Senior Director, Product Development for Sparkling Flavors. The cooling aspect is achieved using similar technology used for confectionery and baking, the company says.
“This was a fun creative brief to work on because Sprite Chill is an intrinsic-led innovation platform,” said A.P. Chaney, Senior Creative Director, Sparkling Flavors. “The cooling sensation technology inspired us to lean in to the ‘ice-cold’ colloquialism, a cultural double-entendre for Gen Z consumers—that implies being at the top of your game.”
Ferozan Mast
Ferozan Mast is a science, health and wellness writer with a passion for making science and research-backed information accessible to a general audience. Read more about Ferozan
