Poppi Fumbled With Its Vending Machine Marketing Tactic — Here's Why People Are Mad

Prebiotic soda brand Poppi, known for its 5 grams of sugar per can, is facing serious backlash from social media and the general public over vending machines.

Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, the brand sent custom Poppi vending machines and free soda to select influencers as part of its ad campaign. While influencer marketing isn’t new, let's just say this move isn’t sitting well with everyone.

Poppi tapped Alix Earle, Jake Shane, and Robert Rausch for its "Soda Thoughts" Super Bowl commercial, but the vending machine stunt is stealing the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Here’s why Poppi’s vending machine giveaway is causing controversy.

Poppi’s Super Bowl ad campaign is getting major heat, and it all comes down to those vending machines. In preparation for their big game commercial, the brand sent social media influencers their own Poppi-branded vending machines, complete with touchscreens and cases of free soda.

The marketing move itself isn’t new. Giving away products to get attention (and potentially more sales) can work, but people think Poppi completely fumbled by handing them out to influencers who, let's be honest, don’t need free stuff, let alone an entire vending machine.

And that’s not the only issue. As @femininefuel pointed out, most of the influencers getting these vending machines are white, which isn’t sitting right with people. Beyond that, the backlash is fueled by the fact that most folks are struggling financially right now — eggs have practically doubled in price, and essentials aren’t getting any cheaper. So, why give an entire vending machine and free soda to people who can easily afford it?

Sure, influencers have reach, but as some have suggested, wouldn’t it have made more sense to put these vending machines in colleges or event venues where people could actually benefit? Poppi could have done that … and that’s exactly the point.

TikToker @femininefuel pointed out a lack of diversity in Poppi’s influencer vending machine giveaway. "Poppi is sending out these Super Bowl vending machines to influencers, and the campaign is everywhere. But when I searched on TikTok, I didn’t see any Black women creators getting them. Am I missing something, or did they overlook us?" she captioned her video.

So, which influencers actually received a Poppi vending machine? Rach Sullivan (@rachsullivan__), Kaeli Mae (@kaelimaee), and Emilie Kiser (@emiliekiser) are just a few big names who now have one taking up space in their homes, and they’re all white. Adding to the controversy, Olipop reportedly commented on a viral post about the campaign, revealing that each vending machine cost $25,000 and that they sent out 32 of them. That’s a major investment, further fueling the backlash.

With criticism mounting over Poppi’s vending machine stunt — particularly accusations of being out of touch — brands might need to rethink their marketing strategies. The era of handing wealthy influencers free stuff for financial gain could be losing its appeal … at least until the economy improves.