Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry is a seasonal product that’s developed a cult following. To further cement it as Gen Z’s most beloved holiday favorite while solidifying Sprite as The Beverage Brand for The Culture, we enlisted NBA Superstar and Gen Z icon Anthony Edwards in the role of “Anta Claus.”

 

In this holiday remix, “’Twas the Night Before SPRITEMAS,” we swap Santa’s sleigh for a flying drop-top pulled by “wolfdeer” — a nod to Edwards’ Timberwolves — as Anta Claus subs in for an ailing Santa Claus to save Spritemas. Narrated by rising rap star Monaleo, we playfully confront the holiday duality of tradition vs. modernity, from the rejection of eggnog (“more like egg-nah”) to the campaign’s visual identity designed by Memphis-based Black artist Eso Tolson. The result was a celebration of Black joy and creativity, purposefully elevating voices often underrepresented in holiday marketing.

 

Executed across TV, social media, and digital platforms, the campaign dominated live sports broadcasts throughout December, including NBA Christmas Day games — culminating with Timberwolves vs Mavericks — watched by 7 million viewers.

 

Thanks to Anta Claus, Sprite turned a seasonal flavor into a cultural moment. The campaign didn’t just generate record sales (which it did)—it reinforced Sprite’s role as an icon at the intersection of sports,

hip-hop, and community.