Jelly Roll Talks Becoming the ‘Poster Child of Sweet Authenticity’ in New Zevia Ad: ‘What You See Is What You Get’

Whatta man Jelly Roll is! The country superstar appears in a hilarious new commercial for Zevia, a zero-sugar, zero-calorie natural alternative to soda.

In the clip, shared on Monday (March 10), the “Need a Favor” singer pulls up to an 1950s-looking gas station in his red pick-up truck. Two young boys in the field nearby watch in awe as Jelly Roll emerges from the car in slow motion, running his hands through his mullet as he portrays a classic country man in a cut-off flannel, jean shorts, cowboy boots and black sunglasses. Salt-N-Pepa’s 1993 hit, “Whatta Man,” plays in the background, adding to the drama of the moment.

“Jelly Roll? In a Zevia commercial? This is huge,” one of the boys says as the star opens a nearby refrigerator and pulls out a Creamy Root Beer flavored beverage. “By choosing him as the spokesperson for their zero-sugar soda with zero artificial ingredients, Zevia is dismantling the notion that quote-on-quote ‘real men’ can’t be conscious of what goes into their body.”

“Mr. Roll is now, quite literally, the poster child for sweet authenticity,” the boy gushes — much to the confusion of his friend — as Jelly Roll takes a sip of his drink, burps and smiles into the camera.

For Jelly Roll, the partnership was a no-brainer, as he’s been focusing on his health in recent months, revealing at the end of 2024 that he lost more than 100 pounds over the course of the year. “Making small, intentional choices daily is a real thing that I have honed in on and that has been so impactful during this process,” he tells Billboard of his health and wellness journey. “I think it’s changed my ability to keep up with my progress, since it has been an honest conversation of ‘in that moment’ which one is the better option to stay on track?”

He also just loved filming the advertisement. “What I loved about this is it felt like we got to really play into the skit and have some fun with it,” he recalls. “When I got to do the season premiere of SNL this year, I got to also be a part of a skit, and this was another version of being able to really lean into having fun with a character. And everyone else on set was so game too which made it such a great experience.”

 As for that “sweet poster child of authenticity” comment, he agrees. “One thing you can say about me is that I am me — even when I get chances to play up a character — and I hope that comes through in this spot. What you see is what you get,” he says.

Watch Jelly Roll keep it real in the new Zevia commercial below.