PepsiCo’s sparkling water brand Bubly is leaning into Y2K nostalgia to celebrate the limited-time return of its apple flavor. The company has partnered with Apple Bottoms, the fashion label made famous in the 2000s, for a campaign that blends music, style, and pop culture memories.
The campaign, titled “Apple Bubly Jeans”, highlights a denim capsule collection featuring jeans with Apple Bottoms’ iconic apple-shaped back pocket — redesigned to fit a can of Bubly. The bundle includes limited-edition Apple Bubly cans in denim-inspired packaging, a tank top, a keychain, a mini clutch, and iron-on patches. The full set retails for $79 on AppleBottoms.com.
Adding to the throwback appeal, Bubly remixed Flo Rida’s 2008 hit “Low”, turning the unforgettable lyric “apple bottom jeans” into “Apple Bubly jeans.” The track anchors a social-first campaign created by PepsiCo’s in-house agency, amplified with influencer collaborations and paid placements across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
“Long before emojis, Apple Bottoms made curves iconic. This partnership is our gift to fans: the return of Apple Bubly, with a playful Y2K denim twist,” said Katelyn Meola, Bubly’s brand marketing director.
The nostalgic collaboration arrives at a moment when brands are increasingly drawing from millennial culture to engage consumers who grew up with 2000s music and fashion. For Bubly, the strategy positions its apple flavor not just as a seasonal beverage, but as part of a cultural throwback that connects style and taste.
With influencers like Trey Kennedy, Erin Miller, Drea Montgomery, and Emily Scott James backing the launch, the campaign taps into humor, lifestyle, and social nostalgia. PepsiCo’s decision to invest in this crossover also reflects its broader effort to push social-first storytelling across its beverage portfolio, which includes Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Starry, and Gatorade.
By remixing a chart-topping anthem and reviving a once-iconic denim brand, Bubly is betting that a blend of music, fashion, and flavor can spark the same kind of energy that made “apple bottom jeans” a household phrase nearly two decades ago.
