ZOA, the fastest-growing energy drink in the U.S., will air a new spot featuring founder Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson during NBC’s pre-game show for Sunday’s football championship.
The ad, which will air twice during the pregame show, features footage of Johnson fueling his workout with ZOA, while he’s joined by fellow founders Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman in Johnson’s home gym.
In the commercial, Johnson holds a 120-pound chain draped over his shoulders and performs a sequence of squats and lunges while announcing, “When it doesn’t exist, you have to create it. We chose to create what would fuel us and what could fuel you.”
He continues, “ZOA Energy is for the everyday warrior who chooses to be strong. To be healthy. To be positive. To be them all. ZOA Energy – what drives us is what fuels you.”
Johnson posted the 30-second video this week on his social media channels and shared with his nearly 400 million followers, where it’s already garnered millions of views. When it airs during the pre-game segment on Sunday, millions more will have their first introduction to ZOA, which launched last spring in partnership with Molson Coors.
Despite launching in March 2021, ZOA burst onto the scene and quickly became a top-15 energy drink in the U.S., according to IRI. It’s the fastest-growing brand in the space, and it finished in 2021 as the top-selling new brand in its segment.
“Consumers have fallen in love with ZOA,” says Ron Worrell, senior portfolio manager for ZOA at Molson Coors. “They want an energy drink they can feel good about, and that’s why they’re reaching for ZOA.”
Positioned as an above-premium, better-for-you energy drink, ZOA contains natural ingredients such as turmeric, camu camu and acerola cherry. It contains vitamins C and B, added electrolytes and amino acids, and it is made with caffeine derived from green tea and unroasted coffee beans. ZOA is made without preservatives, artificial ingredients or additives.
Last month, the brand introduced two new flavors, White Peach and Tropical Punch, both of which have zero sugar. The brand says each “provide an accessible, yet healthy energy option to fuel consumers’ lives, whether that’s at the gym, work or home.”
ZOA aims to be in 70,000 retail locations by the end of 2022, including 22,000 new locations in the first quarter. That includes displays in more than 3,000 Walmart stores, as well as in chains such as 7-Eleven, Kroger, Circle K and Albertsons. To date, ZOA can be found in more than 30,000 retail stores across the U.S.
“When (Johnson) posts about ZOA, it’s not just a celebrity promoting a brand that’s paying them. The Rock has skin in the game, and he believes we’ve got the best energy drink out there,” Worrell says. “And the data’s clear: Consumers agree with him.”