Starbucks revives ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ad for new energy drink

More than 20 years ago, Starbucks put a common-man twist on the “Rocky III” anthem “Eye of the Tiger” in an ad promoting its packaged DoubleShot espresso drink. Now the brand has made a sequel to that ad to promote its new packaged Iced Energy drink. In the original 2004 ad from Fallon, viewers find a man named Glen in his kitchen as he cracks open a can of DoubleShot. He turns around to find a band in his living room, covering the Survivor classic “Eye of the Tiger” but with lyrics about him. The band follows Glen to work. When he gets off the elevator, another man, Roy, walks by, and the band starts singing for him. The new ad, from BBDO, picks up with Roy, Iced Energy in hand. He comes up the escalators to see the new band outside on a window-washing platform. The band (The Legends of Classic Rock, a supergroup of former members of iconic ‘70s-‘80s rock bands) follows him, singing about how Roy has come back from lunch and implying that a Starbucks iced energy powers him through the afternoon slump. The original Glen makes a cameo as Roy’s supervisor. The ad ends with the band following Roy’s coworker Kim. The ad will air on Peacock and during the Bravo shows “Summer House” and “Southern Charm” for the next four weeks. Starbucks debuted Iced Energy in its cafes in 2024. The packaged, ready-to-drink version is part of Starbucks and PepsiCo’s joint venture, the North American Coffee Partnership, which started in 1994 to help launch the bottled Frappuccino. Along with the energy drinks, Starbucks has also rolled out Frappuccino Lites, 100-calorie versions of the original. The new Iced Energy drinks are available in grocery and convenience stores. The Starbucks-PepsiCo venture first jumped into the energy drink category in 2022 with a brand called Baya, seeking a piece of what has been a growing drinks segment. The energy drink category saw 1.5% volume growth and 3.7% dollar growth in 2024, Beverage Digest figures show. Monster Energy was the largest brand, followed by Red Bull, Celsius and Rockstar. The packaged Iced Energy drinks come as Starbucks seeks a turnaround for its retail stores. The chain has slimmed its menu, moved away from deals and rewards, cut down on mobile wait times and encouraged customers to hang out in its cafes.

Starbucks revives ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ad for new energy drink

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