Sprite has shifted its creative business in the U.S. again—this time to the New York office of Wieden + Kennedy, according to sources involved in the decision.
W+K, a Coca-Cola roster shop that already works on Coke and Powerade, becomes the fourth agency in three years to handle the brand domestically. Sprite's media spending totaled nearly $14 million last year, up from just $7 million in 2013, according to Kantar Media.
The shift came after a pitch that also involved R/GA (another Coca-Cola roster shop) and the incumbent, Translation, sources said. Representatives for Sprite and W+K declined to comment on the move.
The brand had worked with Translation since fall 2013. Since 2012, Sprite has used Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Leo Burnett, Translation and, now, W+K. Before BBH, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Ogilvy & Mather also had cracks at the business.
With the frequent changes in agencies, Sprite has tried a series of different strategies. As such, the brand arguably hasn't had a stable or distinct positioning since its "Obey Your Thirst" campaign, which came out of Lowe & Partners in the 1990s.
Recently, the brand has gone back to that tagline on Twitter and in spots with LeBron James, which seems to be in an effort to stablize the brand's ever-shifting identity.
Before that, the brand tried the tag "There's Nothing Soft About It" from Leo Burnett.
In 2010, the brand tapped Drake for its "The Spark" campaign from BBH.