The Grammy-winning rapper, Cardi B, has become a shareholder and brand ambassador for Zevia, a partnership with a beverage . The deal kicks off with tour sponsorship and a summer campaign, with new flavors on the horizon.
It started, as so many Cardi B moments do, with a candid admission.
“I love soda but I can’t be out here drinking a whole can of sugar,” the rapper said this week, announcing a multi‑year partnership with Zevia, the zero‑sugar, naturally sweetened soda brand. “Zevia, it’s zero sugar, no fake ingredients, and it hits.”
The sentiment—direct, unpolished, delivered with the same energy she brings to her Instagram Lives and chart‑topping tracks—encapsulates the logic behind one of the year’s more unexpected brand collaborations. Zevia, a publicly traded company and Certified B Corporation that has long marketed itself as a champion of “radical transparency,” is betting that Cardi B’s massive cultural reach and reputation for authenticity can help it break through in an increasingly crowded better‑for‑you beverage category.
But this is no ordinary endorsement deal. The rapper, whose sophomore album AM I THE DRAMA?, is also taking an equity stake in the company. As both a shareholder and brand ambassador, she will help shape Zevia’s creative direction, appear in a major campaign this summer, and collaborate on new products and flavor innovations.
“In a world full of fakes and artificial choices, Zevia stands for doing things the real way,” said Kirsten Suarez, Zevia’s chief marketing officer. “Cardi B is unapologetically confident, says what she means, and never waters herself down—all qualities that mirror how we think about our ingredients and our brand.”
A Cultural Alignment, Not Just a Contract
For Zevia, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker Zevia (NYSE:ZVIA), the partnership represents a strategic effort to move beyond the niche of health‑conscious consumers and into the mainstream soda aisle. The brand’s brightly colored cans, sweetened with stevia and free of artificial ingredients, have found a foothold in more than 39,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. But with major beverage players aggressively expanding their zero‑sugar portfolios, standing out requires more than a clean label—it requires cultural resonance.
Enter Cardi B. With more than 100 million RIAA‑certified units sold, three diamond certifications, and a social media following that hangs on her every word, she brings an audience that values exactly the kind of straightforwardness Zevia is trying to project. Her public persona—loud, unfiltered, unapologetically herself—mirrors the brand’s “zero fake” ethos in ways that traditional celebrity endorsements often struggle to achieve.
“She says what she means and stands by it,” Suarez said. That alignment, the company hopes, will help it connect with consumers who are increasingly skeptical of polished marketing and hungry for transparency. According to industry data, younger shoppers in particular are scrutinizing ingredient lists and gravitating toward brands that communicate authenticity.
From Tour Sponsorship to Flavor Innovation
The partnership launched with Zevia as the official sponsor of Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour, her first U.S. arena tour, which kicked off in February. Concertgoers can expect on‑site activations, and the “Bardigang” has already been invited to participate in a social media giveaway that asks fans to post videos of themselves sipping Zevia while vibing to Cardi’s music—a bid to generate user‑generated content that bridges the artist’s fanbase with the brand.
But the real test will come this summer, when Zevia rolls out a campaign featuring Cardi B in commercials, in‑store displays, and a sampling tour. The company is also teasing in‑person appearances and social content designed to feel less like traditional advertising and more like an extension of Cardi’s own voice.
Perhaps the most intriguing element is the promise of product collaboration. Cardi B will work with Zevia on new flavors, lending her palate—and her persona—to the innovation pipeline. For a brand that has built its identity on simplicity (its ingredient lists are famously short), the move signals a willingness to stretch creatively while staying true to its core promise of zero sugar and no artificial ingredients.
“Better‑for‑you doesn’t have to be boring, niche, or overcomplicated,” Suarez said.
For Cardi B, whose business empire already spans music, fashion, and cosmetics, the move adds another revenue stream while allowing her to put her stamp on a category she says she genuinely enjoys. “It hits,” she said of Zevia—a three‑word review that, in her vernacular, carries significant weight.
For Zevia, the partnership is a bet that authenticity can be scaled. Whether consumers will embrace the pairing as a natural fit or view it as another celebrity cash‑in remains to be seen. But for now, the company is leaning into the synergy with a confidence that mirrors its new brand ambassador.
The Road Ahead
As the Little Miss Drama Tour continues and the summer campaign approaches, the collaboration will face the usual scrutiny that comes with high‑profile brand alliances. But Zevia executives are banking on the idea that in an era of AI‑generated ads and ingredient lists that read like chemistry experiments, a partnership rooted in “radical realness” might be exactly what consumers are thirsty for.
“Together, we’re excited to show people that better‑for‑you doesn’t have to be boring,” Suarez said. With Cardi B in the mix, it’s a safe bet that it won’t be.
Zevia is the official sponsor of Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour. The brand’s summer campaign featuring the rapper is scheduled to launch in June 2026.
