These 15 food and beverage brands found their fans—using buzzy content and IRL activations

In a crowded field like food and beverage, companies must do all they can to stay ahead of the pack. The 2025 Brands That Matter honorees in the space used inventive campaigns, celebrity influence, and nostalgic throwbacks to stand apart. Corona brought its product to Olympian heights, and Sprite reinvigorated a classic slogan with a new generation of talent. Sometimes achieving brand relevance is as easy, as Heinz proved, as putting a little mustard on it.

Califia Farms

A recognizable presence in the plant-based dairy aisle, Califia Farms spent the past year recommitting itself to values of health and sustainability. In response to consumer demands for more organic options, the brand expanded its Simple & Organic line to include Organic Coconutmilk, Organic Vanilla Almondmilk, and a selection of Organic Almond Creamers. Califia also completed its transition from using virgin plastic in its signature curvy containers to 100% recycled plastic (rPET) bottles across the U.S. and Canada. The brand’s efforts to go green extend beyond environmentally friendly packaging. In February, Califia released The Green Album, a compilation of feel-good ambient tunes and meditations narrated by actor Chris O’Dowd. For every stream of the album on Spotify, Califia and the nonprofit One Tree Planted will plant a tree. The nondairy giant has found other avenues to engage with pop culture too. Upon releasing Creamy Refreshers, a line of beverages made with real fruit juice and coconut cream, Califia Farms partnered with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila to serve an exclusive cocktail at Coachella.

California Pizza Kitchen

For California Pizza Kitchen’s 40th anniversary, the Beverly Hills–born pizza chain teased a bold, fresh rebrand, replete with an all-black colorway and EDM soundtrack. Even CPK’s CMO, Dawn Keller, touted the company’s rebrand on LinkedIn. The attempt to appeal to a newer, younger crowd had an unfortunate stink of “How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?” about it. Luckily for skeptical CPK fans, the whole thing was a ruse. On CPK’s birthday in March, the brand launched a funny, self-aware campaign titled “We’re 40 & Fine With It!” Starring actress and former CPK hostess Busy Philipps, the mockumentary-style video shows the brand going through a faux midlife crisis. “Ever since they turned 40,” says Philipps, “they’ve been acting insane.” She convinces a corporate rep to abandon the edgy “disrupter” facade and focus on why customers fell in love with CPK in the first place: the food. As part of the anniversary campaign, CPK rolled out a nostalgic limited-time menu with classics like Waldorf Chicken Salad and Tortilla Spring Rolls.    

Chili’s 

In an era increasingly defined by rising food costs, Chili’s reiterated to customers that it is the go-to dining establishment for getting the best bang for your buck. For $10.99, diners can get bottomless chips and salsa, a drink with unlimited refills, and a Big Smasher—a burger with, notably, twice as much beef as a Big Mac. In April, Chili’s clapped back at high fast food prices with a cheeky two-day pop-up in New York City. At the immersive “Fast Food Financing Store,” guests were “approved” for a gift card to offset the cost of a fast food combo meal before being escorted into a Chili’s speakeasy. CEO Kevin Hochman and CMO George Felix recognize that Chili’s deftly balances its cheeky branding and red-booth nostalgia. At the intersection of playful irreverence and the creature comforts of hospitality sits Chili’s secret weapon: alcohol. Chili’s has become a hub for margarita drinkers, selling over 24 million of the tequila libations in 2024—more than any other restaurant brand. Chili’s capitalized on its diners’ preferred drink by launching $10 Patrón-based margaritas in June. Despite being $4 more than the chain’s other margaritas, the drinks doubled sales projections in their first three months.

Coca-Cola 

Since its humble beginnings in 1886, Coca-Cola has become a global phenomenon enjoyed in more than 200 countries and territories. This past year, the beloved beverage leaned into its status as an international icon with a number of regionally specific campaigns. In the Middle East, “Ramadan Made by” showed families connecting over a Coke during the monthlong holiday; “Lunar New Year” embraced festive packaging and scenes of celebration across Asia; and in Mexico, “Shades of Red” showcased tienditas and their signature red awnings as a cornerstone of community. Coca-Cola recognizes that it’s a personal brand as much as a global one. In March, the soda giant relaunched its “Share a Coke” campaign with personalized packaging and a digital rollout aimed at Gen Z, including a QR code–powered digital hub. It’s part of an overall effort to reach younger consumers; in 2024, more than half of Coca-Cola’s global media strategy was spent on digital media, with emphasis shifted toward social platforms and influencers.

View this post on Instagram

Dr Pepper

Read about how the soda brand capitalized on buzz around “dirty soda” to release its most popular limited-edition flavor ever.

Corona

As big beer brands expand into the nonalcoholic beverage market, Corona went where no N/A beer has gone before: the Olympics. In 2024, Corona Cero was the leading brand at the Paris Olympics, thanks to savvy maneuvering by AB InBev’s CMO Marcel Marcondes and his team. With alcoholic beverages verboten for regular ticket holders at the Paris games, Corona Cero was a rule-abiding workaround, and AB InBev served as the event’s first global beer sponsor. The sponsorship was accompanied by the “For Every Golden Moment” campaign, which highlighted the celebratory spirit of the games—and will be revived for the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games in 2026. In 2025, Corona’s flagship beer has been the star as the brand celebrates its 100th birthday. As part of the festivities, the beer giant launched the “Beach 100,” a curated list of the world’s most iconic beaches. By purchasing the special-edition 100th Anniversary pack and scanning the QR code, consumers could win a trip to one of the crowned oases. 

Gozney

When Tom Gozney switched his business model from commercial pizza ovens to portable, compact ones in 2016, he leveraged the influence of celebrated chefs to bring his product to the masses. It’s a business philosophy that Gozney has sustained into 2025. This past year, the brand tapped longtime partner Matty Matheson—chef, YouTube sensation, and producer and actor on The Bear—to head up its “Cook Different” campaign. For the project, Matheson channeled old-school infomercial hosts, all while bringing his signature frenetic energy to the videos. The campaign teed up Matheson for a proper product release: The Matty Matheson Signature Tread. Released in June, the orange ovens are bold and whimsical, just like Matheson himself. Key to Gozney’s cultural impact is its embrace of long-form YouTube content—its most recent series is Pizza With Frank, starring pizzaiola Frank Pinello of Vice fame. The brand has a booming YouTube presence. As of late November, Gozney had more than 383,000 YouTube followers and a subscriber growth rate in the top 10% of all YouTube channels. 

Heinz

Super Bowl LIX proved to be a catalyzing cultural moment for Heinz to create brand buzz—all without having its own big-game ad. The condiment company lent its fan-favorite brigade of wiener dogs to Instacart’s Super Bowl commercial, catapulting them to being the second-most-mentioned brand on X during the game. But it was the half-time show’s inclusion of Mustard—Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” producer—that set the stage for Kraft Heinz global chief growth officer (and CMOs of the Year honoree) Diana Frost and her team. About two minutes into the track “TV Off,” Kendrick yells out a long and guttural “Mustaaaaaard!” The yawp became a meme unto itself, beloved by fans and even parodied by The Minions. Heinz jumped at the opportunity to be involved. In February, the same month as the Super Bowl, Heinz released a 30-second spot teasing a forthcoming collaboration with DJ Mustard (born Dijon Isaiah McFarlane). The limited-edition Heinz Mustaaaaaard, a piquant honey mustard with jalapeños and chipotle, dropped in June at Buffalo Wild Wings, followed by a retail rollout. The new condiment hit shelves on the heels of a banner 2024 for Heinz, when the 150-plus-year-old company generated more than 3.6 billion earned media impressions.

McDonald’s

How does a brand as big as McDonald’s stay relevant? By embracing nostalgia and emerging markets in equal measure. In summer 2024, McDonald’s relaunched its collectible cups after 20 years. Spotlighting brands like Beanie Babies, Barbie, and Hot Wheels, the collection sold 15.8 million cups, with nearly all 33 markets sold out within 14 days and resale values spiking on eBay and Grailed. Another brand throwback, the cult favorite McRib, first introduced in 1981, found a spot back on the menu in time for the 2024 holiday season. Half-gallon jugs of the signature sauce were available online as well. The McDonald’s marketing team, helmed by CMO Morgan Flatley, worked to attract younger consumers as well. For its Chicken Big Mac campaign, the chain hosted an unscripted Twitch livestream with superstar influencer Kai Cenat. Cenat invited a few famous friends, including John Cena and Fanum, to debate an age-old question: Is a Big Mac with chicken still a Big Mac? The campaign—the brand’s first on Twitch—racked up 30 million streams and 500 million views, and generated 35 billion earned impressions for McDonald’s.

Oatly

Alt-milk purveyor Oatly wanted would-be customers to know that its creamers are actually their ideal coffee companion—they just don’t know it yet. The brand conjured up a faux medical condition, DOMP (Dormant Oatmilk Preference), and an accompanying ad spoofing pharmaceutical commercials. “You might already prefer the taste of Oatly over cow milk, but don’t know it yet,” says actor Chris Parnell in voice-over. As part of the broader “Blind Love” campaign—and to diagnose DOMP—Oatly embarked on a sampling tour across the U.S., passing out thousands of cups of coffee to create an opportunity to try Oatly. For the “Fanciest Parking Lot Coffee” campaign, Oatly tapped into a similarly silly and provocative marketing strategy: To promote the packaging overhaul of its oat milk creamers, Oatly staged a low-brow meets high-brow mashup at different grocery store parking lots. There, shoppers were treated to white-glove coffee service, replete with gold-tinged carts, an Oatly Creamer ice sculpture, and live classical music.

Patrón Tequila

Patrón has leaned into its ethos of being an ideal companion for a good time by reinforcing its connection to live entertainment—and positioning concerts as the perfect environment to enjoy its newest offering, Patrón Cristalino. When it launched the tequila in fall 2024, the band partnered with acclaimed Latin artist Becky G for a Los Angeles showcase. It rolled into 2025 festival season with a Live Nation partnership that made Patrón’s products mainstays for music fans nationwide. The brand made its festival debut in April at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, followed by stops at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and EDC Orlando. At Raleigh’s Dreamville alone, Patrón poured more than 27,000 cocktails in two days. A fixture of the partnership is Hacienda Patrón—a music festival activation created by Live Nation’s experiential team, featuring immersive, multistory bars inspired by the company’s Jalisco distillery.

Poppi

Poppi isn’t like other sodas. It’s part of what the brand calls the “modern soda set”—a prebiotic, functional pop that earned its own dedicated retail destination. Stores like Walmart and Target have adopted the initiative, unveiling entire sections for the drink category. Poppi further elevated its partnership with Target by launching an exclusive Cream Soda flavor as well as a 20-piece limited-edition apparel collection. Efforts like these have helped Poppi break out beyond beverage to full-fledged lifestyle brand. It’s achieving that goal with the help of influencers: For its “Soda Thoughts” Super Bowl campaign, Poppi enlisted popular creators like Jake Shane, Alix Earle, and Love Island’s Rob Rausch. In the ad, a bevy of young consumers are wracked with beverage indecision. The narrator asks, “What if there were a better soda?” before making the case for Poppi as a compelling low-sugar alternative. The Gen Z–centric approach helped keep its place as Amazon’s top-selling soft drink for the third year running. In 2024, Poppi netted more than 299 million TikTok views.

Sprite

This past year, Sprite climbed up the soda ranks, surpassing Pepsi as the #3 soft drink in the United States in April. It did that by embracing a tried and true strategy—tapping athletes as influential cultural ambassadors—with stars from a younger generation. Since Sprite first launched the “Obey Your Thirst” campaign in the 1990s, NBA athletes like Grant Hill and Kobe Bryant have lent their talents to the beverage behemoth. In 2024, the brand revived the iconic tagline with help from Minnesota Timberwolf Anthony Edwards and Olympic Gold Medalist Sha’Carri Richardson—Sprite’s first female athlete partner. The lead spot brings back Hill—the star of the original ‘94 campaign—as the narrator. The revamped campaign also signed its first NFL player, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Athletes made their marks across other Sprite campaigns. Edwards is the face of “Anta Claus,” which promotes Sprite’s seasonal Winter Spiced Cranberry flavor, and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young riffs on his nickname “Ice Trae” in promos for the limited-edition Sprite Chill. The drink—outfitted with a unique cooling sensation—became a top seller in 2024, generating $40 million in a 13-week window.

Sweetgreen

Steak isn’t a food that screams “salad chain.” But the eatery proved that even indulgent options could get the Sweetgreen treatment. In response to growing consumer demands for more protein-rich choices, Sweetgreen introduced its first-ever steak option to be added to salads, grain bowls, and plates—caramelized-garlic steak, with pasture-raised, grass-fed beef. It’s a recipe befitting the chain’s focus on thoughtful sourcing and farm-fresh ingredients. In celebration of National Farmer’s Day, Sweetgreen partnered with digital fashion brand MNTGE on a work-wear jacket, with proceeds benefiting the National Young Farmers Coalition. Other farm-forward initiatives included a partnership with the nonprofit Food Access L.A. and “The Faces of the Farm,” a storytelling campaign to shine a light on Sweetgreen’s seasonal summer ingredients. In addition to farmers, Sweetgreen also celebrates the industry-shaking chefs that transform their products. This past year, the brand launched its first-ever Korean-inspired menu in collaboration with the Michelin-starred steakhouse Cote.

View this post on Instagram

Violife

Who better to beat your brand’s drum than Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker? In 2024, he teamed up with dairy-alternative purveyor Violife to promote its new cream cheese block. As part of the social media campaign, Barker called the lineup of cheeses—free of lactose, gluten, soy, and nuts—the “last step in cutting cheese from my diet” (and, to use his punk rock parlance, “fucking awesome”). The musician’s Violife reel on Instagram garnered over 4 million views and 73,000 likes. In 2025, the company has gone wide with its lentil-based coffee creamers, which launched in January at Walmart, and got a nationwide campaign and retail expansion in March. The brand’s “Creamy Confessions” effort brought in reality stars and coffee influencers to get people who dabble in the dairy-free lifestyle to commit.

This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.

View the full article