Dylan Macy

Purpose-Driven Public Relations |  Environmental Communications | Creative Strategy

Creative Brief – Celsius Tart Cherry with Ashwagandha

Client: Celsius Holdings Inc. 

Project: Build awareness and intrigue ahead of the 2025 NFL season towards Celsius’ exclusive product launch at Dicks Sporting Goods for their new functional energy beverage made with tart cherry and ashwagandha

Background

The Problem 

Celsius has emerged as a key player in the highly competitive RTD energy drink market, but its growth has slowed in recent quarters. The #3 energy drink needs to find ways to expand its product offerings to maintain a competitive edge against industry leaders Red Bull and Monster while meeting emerging consumer preferences in its core American market. (Celsius, 2025)

The Opportunity

  • A Well-Positioned Brand: What sets Celsius apart is its better-for-ingredients and a core focus on health, consistent with increasing consumer preference for healthier energy products with functional benefits. Celsius is uniquely positioned to meet this moment and counter the slowdown of the RTD energy market through an expansion of products focused on functional health benefits like recovery without having to shift or compromise its brand.
  • Helping America Recover: Recovery drinks, in particular, are experiencing exceptional growth in the North American market, as more athletes and fitness-adjacent consumers seek products that not only energize, but also boost rest and recovery from active lifestyles. Combined with the fact that Americans are more stressed and sleepless than ever, these factors present a compelling opportunity for Celsius to craft functional products that meet recovery needs with natural ingredients and fresh flavors. (Alverson, 2024; Riebe, 2024; NIQ, 2024; Mintel, 2024; Virtue Market Research, 2024; Fioroni, 2024).

The Promise

Celsius’ new Tart Cherry with Ashwagandha energy drink – the same fruit-forward flavors and sustainable energy you love, now with natural ingredients to boost your recovery. 

  • Rationale: Tart cherry juice and ashwagandha are two natural ingredients increasingly recognized in holistic wellness circles and the medical community as potentially benefiting a range of recovery processes, such as sleep, stress reduction, and muscle recovery (Petre, 2023; Kubala, 2023).

Target Audience

Late Gen Z (ages 18-28) health-conscious consumers interested in holistic health solutions, recovery optimization, and flavorful sources of energy.

  • Rationale: Gen-Z is driving overall growth in the energy drink sector and has played a foundational role in growing the functional beverage market due to their higher levels of concern for health and wellness relative to older generations. Products that are flavorful and that boost performance remain key priorities for Gen-Z. (Riebe, 2024; NIQ, 2024; Mintel, 2024)

Campaign Overview

Fig. 1. OOH advertisement mockup for Celsius’s new Tart Cherry energy drink with Ashwagandha. Side-by-side advertising images were generated using ChatGPT, text and design was completed in Canva, and the billboard mockup was created in Photoshop using an image from freepik.com. 

Ad Concept: A series of out-of-home (OOH) advertisements featuring NFL players in side-by-side frames experiencing the benefits of Celsius Tart Cherry. In the frame to the left, the player can be seen drinking the beverage as they are fueled through their workout; on the right, the player can be seen in a deep, peaceful sleep with Celsius Tart Cherry on their bedside table. The ad tagline appears alongside a direct call-to-action to buy exclusively at Dicks.

  • Rationale: The use of NFL players – especially younger players with strong social media followings – provides the benefits of strong brand spokespeople while tapping into growing excitement for the incoming NFL season. Washington Commanders’ Quarterback Jayden Daniels, a newly announced Celsius partner, will be one of the three young NFL players featured (Burks, 2025).

Ad Tagline: “Celsius Tart Cherry with Ashwagandha – Here to fuel your performance and aid your recovery.”

Campaign Goals: (1) Increase awareness of Celsius’ new functional Tart Cherry energy drink and (2) drive retail sales of the new drink at Dicks Sporting Goods among the target audience. 

Placement & Timeline: The three OOH ads will appear in all states with an NFL team and be placed within 25-mile radiuses of Dick Sporting Goods along major roadways. Ads will run from July to November 2025. 

Campaign Objectives: During the four-month campaign, (1) increase awareness of Celsius Tart Cherry with Ashwagandha among the target audience by 45% month-over-month, and (2) grow sales of the new product by at least 25% month-over-month.

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Disclaimer: All content included on this webpage was created by Dylan Macy in completion of the Spring 2025 Comprehensive Exam through the University of Southern California’s Public Relations and Advertising Master’s program. Dylan has no official affiliation with Celsius Holdings, Inc. View a full list of references here.