Sha’Carri Richardson Teams Up With Sprite As First Female Athlete Partner

History has been made by Sha’Carri Richardson. She joined Sprite for its “Obey Your Thirst” campaign. The beverage brand first launched this campaign in 1994 and the track and field star will be the first woman athlete to partner with Sprite.

Starring in the new creative are NBA Star Anthony Edwards, who previously partnered with Sprite in 2022, and Sha'Carri Richardson, the world's fastest woman.

"Now more than ever, this generation is bombarded with opinions and trends about how they should be living their lives," said Brian Rogers, Senior Director of Brand Marketing for Sprite North America.

"As a brand deeply rooted in championing individuality and authenticity, Sprite recognizes the overwhelming pressure and impact this can have on the growth and ambitions of a younger generation. With the revival of 'Obey Your Thirst,' we're excited to introduce this timeless message to Gen Z and inspire them to embrace their uniqueness and confidently chart their own path."

Sha’Carri appears in a short Sprite clip where she declares "nah" to various things she’s commanded to obey. The short clip comes to an end with the champion athlete enjoying dinner with her mother and grandmother, taking back the refusal of the rules. Take a look at the clip below.

When Sprite shared the short clip on Instagram, many people seemed to enjoy it. One person wrote, “All of us paused when she told Mama & Big Mama ‘nah’ lol.” Another person said, “I LOVE HOW YOU’VE FLIPPED THE WHOLE A-- SCRIPT ON ‘EM!! Keep Winning!!”

Recently, Sha’Carri joined tennis player Naomi Osaka and basketball player Angel Reese in a Beats by Dre Solo 4 headphones and wireless earbuds campaign.

On May 25 at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League event at Eugene's Hayward Field, Sha’Carri will headline the women’s 100m. According to the Olympics website, the reigning world champion is set to make her 100m debut in the Olympic season, facing the 60m world indoor champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia and Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of Côte d'Ivoire.

NBA Star Anthony Edwards also stars in the Sprite campaign with his own twist. In his spot, Edwards recreates Grant Hill’s 1994 Obey Your Thirst ad, with Hill along for the ride.  

With the campaign, fans of the soda can purchase limited-edition packaging that features four unique designs, including an on-pack experience created to “inspire Sprite drinkers everywhere.” Scanning the on-pack QR code will lead customers to “Obey Days,” a digital hub of “inspiration across passions” such as fashion, arts, music, entertainment, and sports, as well as weekly content releases.