PepsiCo-owned modern soda brand poppi has secured a transatlantic brand partnership with ITV Studios' newly launched global licensing unit, Studio 55, embedding the beverage across both Love Island USA on Peacock and Love Island UK on ITV — marking one of the first major cross-market in-show placements to span the franchise simultaneously.
The agreement, announced 4 June 2026, was architected by Studio 55, ITV Studios' dedicated global brand partnership studio, which launched with an explicit mandate to close larger, multi-territory licensing deals than its predecessor units had historically pursued. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Under the deal's structure, poppi will receive developed in-show placements on both the U.S. and U.K. editions of Love Island — two of the most-watched unscripted properties in their respective markets. Beyond broadcast, the partnership extends poppi's commercial footprint into U.S. retail activations and U.K. experiential programming, with Studio 55 indicating plans for a further international rollout across additional Love Island territories.
The move reflects a broader industry shift in which better-for-you and functional beverage brands are increasingly displacing legacy carbonated soft drink sponsors in high-reach entertainment properties. Poppi, which PepsiCo acquired in a deal valued at approximately $1.95 billion in 2025, has aggressively pursued cultural marketing partnerships as a mechanism to compete for shelf space and consumer mindshare against both legacy soda players and the crowded prebiotic soda segment. The Love Island franchises attract demographically young, engaged audiences in two of the world's largest consumer markets — a profile that aligns closely with poppi's core target cohort.
For Studio 55, the deal represents an early proof point for its stated ambition to leverage ITV Studios' global content library into larger, multi-brand licensing revenues. The unit sits at the intersection of content licensing trends and functional beverage marketing, two of the fastest-moving areas in consumer brand strategy. By pairing broadcast integration with retail and experiential extensions, the structure moves beyond a conventional product placement and into territory more analogous to a multi-channel sponsorship architecture.
No guidance on incremental revenue impact or distribution targets tied to the partnership was provided by either party at the time of announcement.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
