Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is launching a Sprite on-pack promotion in the UK in partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA), aiming to capitalise on the sport’s growing popularity and drive soft drinks sales among younger shoppers.
Limited-edition packs across the Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar ranges will roll out from November 2026 to March 2027, with the 500ml Supercan carrying the promotional design throughout 2027.
The promotion will run across 330ml, 500ml, 2L and eight-pack formats, covering both on-the-go and take-home occasions.
Shoppers can scan a QR code on promotional packs and upload proof of purchase to join the Sprite Squad. They can then spin for the chance to win instant Bronze and Silver prizes or enter a draw for Gold-tier rewards.
Prizes include meet-and-greet experiences with NBA legends, VIP tickets, limited-edition Sprite x NBA merchandise and behind-the-scenes game-day experiences.
Basketball opportunity
CCEP said the campaign gives convenience retailers an opportunity to connect with younger shoppers as basketball gains traction in Britain.
Participation in basketball among 14–25-year-olds has risen by 65%, making it the second most popular team sport among young people in the country, according to figures cited by the company. It added that 62.4% of Sprite drinkers aged 16–34 are interested in basketball.
Sprite is worth £73.93 million in the GB retail market, with value sales up 4.5% and volumes growing by 3.8% over the past year.
The campaign will be supported by digital and creator activity, alongside in-store activation. Free point-of-sale materials are available to retailers through CCEP’s MyCCEP.com platform to help build displays and increase visibility.
Photo: Handout
The UK promotion forms part of Sprite’s wider global basketball marketing push, launched under its Never Stop Refreshing the Game platform. The campaign features three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić, centre for the Denver Nuggets, alongside Anthony Edwards, guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, celebrating the evolution of basketball culture.
“Basketball is growing fast in GB, but what makes it particularly exciting is how far its influence stretches beyond the court into music, fashion and gaming. For Sprite, which has a long-standing connection with basketball, that makes the NBA a powerful way to connect with an audience that is already highly engaged with the brand and the sport,” Rob Yeomans, vice-president of commercial development at CCEP GB, said.
“This partnership also gives retailers something genuinely exciting to activate through the winter months. The combination of limited-edition packs, standout in-store activation and NBA experiences that fans wouldn’t normally be able to access gives shoppers plenty of reasons to engage with Sprite throughout the season.”
Yeomans encouraged retailers to stock the promotional range and use the free point-of-sale materials to bring the campaign into stores from the start of the NBA season through to March.
The campaign comes amid wider efforts by food and drink brands to capitalise on the NBA’s international following. Earlier this month, Nestlé announced that its Milo, Nescau and Nesquik brands would become official NBA partners across 21 markets, including the UK, from January 2027.
The partnership includes retail programmes, NBA-branded packaging promotions and competitions offering prizes and fan experiences.