For the first time, Sprite Zero Sugar is sponsoring a movie (for Sprite, it's the first time in about 40 years), Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, set to hit theaters on November 11. To market the upcoming sequel to 2018's Black Panther, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, Marvel and Coca-Cola have teamed up to launch an immersive 360-degree campaign, "Hall of Zero Limits," which unlocks exclusive behind-the-scenes video content profiling some multicultural women behind the film.

Sprite has backed creators of color since the 1980s: from LL Cool J and Kris Kross to emerging designer Talecia Tucker, of the gender-inclusive clothing line Blu Boy to the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which features Black and Hispanic characters in prominent roles, including Marvel's first Latino antagonist and a Mesoamerican-inspired cultural oasis. Speaking about Sprite's decision to sponsor Marvel, North America Creative Director A.P. Chaney said:

Who doesn't want to be part of such a cultural phenomenon that shifted and changed people's perceptions of what Black folks could do? [The film franchise] speaks to Brown and Black creators and people changing the world, and that, to us, was a momentous shift. [Sprite’s marketing has sought to change perceptions of Black creators], so why not partner with such a franchise that is doing the same?

As partners, Sprite Zero Sugar and Black Panther created an interactive experience, "Hall of Zero Limits," which offers an exclusive behind-the-curtain look at the upcoming film and video content from the multicultural women behind it, including Hannah Beachler, the first Black person to win an Oscar for production design (Black Panther), that explores the intersection of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics), women empowerment, and adversity. In STEAM, these women remain largely underrepresented within the career fields, making up less than 10% of the workforce compared to 67% of white workers.

Sprite hopes that its branding inspires people to make their mark on the world (and media can actually have that power, for better or worse). Sprite Zero Sugar's limited edition bottles and cans pay homage to the iconic Black Panther suit and claws, the film’s theme. Just scan the QR code on the Zero Sugar can or bottle to access a digital portal to the Hall of Zero Limits.

Black Panther Fits Into Sprite's DNA

It can be difficult to find funding as a hip-hop artist. It can be especially difficult to find funding that allows an artist to remain authentic. "It's hard to get well-known sponsors sometimes for rap," Reggaeton star Rakim to Coca-Cola Australia, "But this is one of those things, that when they called you tell your man 'I got a Sprite deal.' Because it means something. It's something that lasted in the hood. It's authentic."

Black Panther fits into Sprite's hip hop DNA because "hip hop is heavily influenced in the film," said Chaney. "You will see in the film that hip hop has inspiration throughout the actual movie itself—and same with Sprite."