On October 22, SodaStream brought Simone Biles into its orbit as an ambassador for the Fountain, a countertop machine that lets people shape their own sparkling drinks. The choice rests on a quieter idea than fame: Biles built her reputation on original moves, and the brand hopes that spirit of doing things one's own way will carry over to the everyday ritual of pouring a drink. Whether that borrowed sense of individuality will actually move anyone to buy remains a question the company has not yet answered.
Simone Biles Brings Her Signature Individuality to SodaStream's Customizable Fountain Campaign
SodaStream is selling control over a drink, not the fantasy of becoming a champion
Mark
Why does this pairing make sense? A gymnast and a soda machine seems like a stretch.
Mimi
SodaStream isn't using her medals. It's using the fact that she's known for original skills, moves associated with her name. Then it maps that onto choosing your own flavor, fizz and serving size.
Mark
So the pitch is individuality.
Mimi
Yes, and Biles says it directly: she likes things outside the ordinary, so why not her drinks.
Luke
That's a marketing metaphor, though. Nothing about her gymnastics tells us anything about the machine.
Mimi
Fair, and the analysis says as much. The link is advertising framing, but the product does have adjustable settings that give it something concrete to point to.
Mark
What about the 1,000 combinations?
Luke
That's SodaStream's own estimate, based on 40-plus flavors and the settings. The company says it's a product calculation, not a reach or sales number.
Mark
And the price?
Mimi
A listed US$199.99, with launch availability on SodaStream's site, Walmart and Target.
Mark
Is it working?
Luke
Unknown. No reach, conversion or sales figures have been disclosed. Anything claiming success would be getting ahead of the reporting.
Der Puls
- A gymnast known for difficult, personal skills is now the face of a machine that turns drink-making into a matter of personal taste.
- The campaign spreads across television, social feeds, store shelves and the brand's website, signaling an ambition to be seen everywhere at once.
- At US$199.99, the Fountain asks households to believe that roughly 1,000 flavor and carbonation combinations justify a place on the kitchen counter.
- SodaStream is navigating a crowded market by selling control over a drink rather than the glamour of athletic achievement.
- No reach, conversion or sales figures tied to Biles have been released, so the campaign's true landing is still unknown.
On October 22, SodaStream brought Simone Biles into its orbit as an ambassador for the Fountain, a countertop machine that lets people shape their own sparkling drinks. The choice rests on a quieter idea than fame: Biles built her reputation on original moves, and the brand hopes that spirit of doing things one's own way will carry over to the everyday ritual of pouring a drink. Whether that borrowed sense of individuality will actually move anyone to buy remains a question the company has not yet answered.
On October 22, SodaStream announced that Simone Biles is its newest ambassador. At first glance the match seems odd: an Olympic gymnast best known for her difficult skills, paired with a countertop drink maker. But the brand is drawing on something more specific than her medals. Biles is known for performing original skills under her own name, and SodaStream hopes that reputation for doing things her own way will translate to how people make a drink.
The message is simple: make your drink the way you like it. In the announcement, Biles said she enjoys doing things outside the ordinary, so her drinks should be no different. The campaign video makes the same comparison, setting her creation of her own moves beside the act of creating a personal drink, and then showing the machine at work.
The Fountain lets users choose flavor intensity, carbonation and serving size, in 8, 16 or 24 ounces. It goes beyond the brand's traditional plain sparkling-water machines by mixing flavored drinks, with more than 40 options including Pepsi, Mountain Dew and bubly. SodaStream estimates about 1,000 combinations, though it describes that as a product figure rather than a measure of reach or sales. It is listed at US$199.99 and sold through the brand's site and major retailers such as Walmart and Target.
The partnership is meant to run across television, digital channels, social media and in-store displays, with Instagram and TikTok content planned. SodaStream calls it the beginning of a longer relationship. The idea is that a short video can link Biles's moves to personal choice, while a shelf or product page explains the settings.
Whether the approach works is still open. SodaStream has not shared campaign reach, conversions or any sales tied to Biles, and the distribution details alone do not show that celebrity creative has helped. What to watch is whether the company reports results as the relationship develops.
On October 22, SodaStream announced that Simone Biles is its newest ambassador. The pairing is unusual on its face: a gymnast best known for difficult skills, lending her name to a countertop drink maker. But the brand is leaning on a specific part of her career rather than her medal count. Biles has performed original skills associated with her name, and SodaStream wants that reputation for doing things her own way to carry over to the question of what goes in a glass.
The pitch is built around the idea of making drinks the way you like them. In the announcement, Biles put it this way: she likes doing things outside the ordinary, so why should her drinks be any different? The campaign video follows the same logic. Biles compares creating her own moves with creating her own drinks, then demonstrates the machine. The product appears, but the familiar notion of a signature move is the way in.
The product is the Fountain, a countertop system that lets users choose flavor intensity, carbonation level and how much to dispense. It offers 8-ounce, 16-ounce and 24-ounce servings. It also goes beyond SodaStream's traditional plain sparkling-water machines, since it mixes flavored drinks. The brand lists Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Starry, bubly and Mug among the flavors, and says more than 40 are available.
From those flavors and settings, SodaStream estimates roughly 1,000 possible drink combinations. The company says that figure is an internal product calculation, not a measure of campaign reach or sales. The Fountain carries a listed price of US$199.99 and is being positioned as a way to bring a customizable fountain-drink experience into the home. At launch it was sold through SodaStream's own site and major online retailers, including Walmart and Target.
The campaign is meant to travel beyond a single video. SodaStream says the Biles partnership will appear on television, digital channels, social media, in stores and on its website, with Instagram and TikTok content part of the plan. The company describes this as the start of a broader ambassador relationship rather than a one-off spot. The logic is that a short video can establish the link between Biles's own moves and making a drink your way, while a retailer shelf or product page can explain the settings, flavors and serving sizes.
The analysis around the launch points to why the fit matters. A celebrity campaign can feel interchangeable when the famous face has little to do with what the product does. Here, the idea of an individual routine is tied to a machine built around choosing settings, though the parallel remains an advertising metaphor. SodaStream is selling control over a drink, not the fantasy of becoming an Olympic champion.
What remains unknown is whether it works. SodaStream has not disclosed campaign reach, conversion results or any sales attributable to Biles. The distribution details are just that, details, and not evidence that celebrity-led creative has improved performance. The thing to watch is whether the company shares any results as the ambassador relationship develops beyond this first announcement.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I like to do things that are outside of the ordinary; why should my drinks be any different?— Simone Biles, in SodaStream's announcement
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