bubly, PepsiCo's sparkling water brand, has announced a high-profile strategic partnership with Illumination and Nintendo ahead of the April 2026 theatrical release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The collaboration features a robust rollout of limited-time offerings (LTOs), thermochromic packaging innovations, and a gamified shopper marketing campaign.
The launch underscores the growing trend of leveraging blockbuster entertainment IP within the grocery aisle to drive impulse purchases and recruit younger, digitally-native consumers into the sparkling water category.
Thermochromic Packaging and LTOs
To capitalise on the cinematic release, Bubly has developed three new movie-inspired LTO flavours. Crucially, these new SKUs integrate thermochromic ink technology—cans that change colour when chilled—featuring the "Luma" characters from the franchise. This temperature-sensitive packaging serves as a highly shareable, interactive element designed to drive social media visibility.
The Limited-Edition Flavour Lineup:
Meteor Melon: A watermelon-lime profile.
Cosmic Swirl: A blend of vanilla and berry.
Dragonfruit Stardust: A pineapple and dragonfruit mix.
In addition to the new flavours, bubly is applying a "Mario-themed refresh" to its core, best-selling portfolio. Speciality packs of Lime, Blackberry, Cherry, Grapefruit, and Strawberry will feature fan-favourite characters such as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser Jr., ensuring the partnership has a massive footprint across the existing retail shelf space.
The 'Golden Ticket' Gamification
To drive multi-pack volume and consumer engagement, bubly is executing a multi-tiered promotional strategy dubbed the "bubly Galactic Mission."
The 'Galaxy Can' Hunt: Adopting a "golden ticket" promotional model, bubly has hidden 50 exclusive "Galaxy Cans" featuring the character Rosalina inside select 8-packs nationwide. Finding a can unlocks the Grand Prize: a trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Centre.
Digital Loyalty via 'Star Bits': Every film-themed can features a scannable element that unlocks random amounts of digital currency ("Star Bits"). Consumers can bank these points to redeem for complimentary movie tickets and exclusive merchandise, effectively creating a short-term loyalty loop to drive repeat purchases through May 8, 2026.
Michael Smith, VP of Marketing for bubly Sparkling Water, commented on the activation:
"With our new color-changing cans, limited edition flavors, film-themed packs, Star Bits collection, and hidden bubly Galaxy Cans... we're thrilled to bring the magic of this universe into the grocery aisle and be part of fans' excitement leading up to the film."
TikTok Shop Integration
Reflecting the shift towards social commerce, the limited-edition Super Mario Galaxy Movie flavours and packaging are rolling out immediately to traditional nationwide retail stores, as well as directly to consumers via TikTok Shop.
Furthermore, bubly has secured on-premise promotional partnerships with Regal and Marcus Theatres®, bridging the gap between the grocery aisle and the theatrical experience.
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