Dr Pepper has officially turned a viral TikTok moment into national television advertising. A homemade jingle by Romeo Bingham, which took off on TikTok in late December, will feature in a 15-second TV spot airing twice during the College Football Playoff National Championship on ESPN.
Created by Deutsch, the ad replaces one planned Fansville placement, meaning two 30-second Fansville commercials will run instead of three. The move follows the rapid spread of Bingham’s jingle, “Dr Pepper, baby, it’s good and nice”, which generated more than 25 million views and sparked widespread calls for the brand to make it official.
According to Ben Sylvan, senior VP of connected media at Dr Pepper, the scale of audience response made the decision unavoidable. “The signal was so loud that ignoring it wasn’t really an option,” he said.
The spot stays close to the original TikTok energy, featuring Dr Pepper product shots set to a high-energy remix of the jingle, bold on-screen lyrics and creator credit in the corner. Deutsch’s Ryan Lehr said the agency focused on preserving what made the jingle work rather than overproducing it.
For Dr Pepper, the activation serves both loyalty and growth. The brand currently ranks No. 2 in U.S. carbonated soft drink dollar sales and No. 3 by volume, according to Beverage Digest. While much of the viral engagement came from existing fans, elevating the moment to national TV extends its reach beyond TikTok.
The brand confirmed it licensed the jingle from Bingham as part of a formal creative collaboration and plans to continue working with the creator on additional social content in the coming months. Bingham described the partnership as transparent and respectful, noting that they were credited and actively involved in shaping how far the idea could go. Beyond Dr Pepper, the viral moment has already opened new doors. Bingham has since secured jingle-writing work through an official partnership with Vita Coco and plans to continue building a creative career spanning music and acting.
The moment underscores a broader shift in brand behavior: listening closely to audience signals in real time, and being willing to adapt plans when culture speaks loudly enough.
