A US-based soda company called Poppi is currently getting dragged on TikTok for their out-of-touch influencer marketing campaign which revolved around vending machines. But why exactly is the company getting slammed so badly online? Let’s explain the whole thing from the start.

Poppi, a drink brand using low-sugar ingredients and prebiotics to make “healthy” soda, set out to create a viral influencer campaign leading up to its Super Bowl 2025 commercial. It involved sending a handful of social media influencers, like @kaelimaee, their own personal vending machines, filled with Poppi cans.

The prebiotic soda brand Poppi has become one of the fastest growing brands due to this savvy marketing strategy in only four years since its founding.