Jelly Roll’s Epic Zevia Ad: Mullet, Root Beer & Pure Comedy
Jelly Roll is making waves in the world of commercials with his latest appearance in a fun and quirky ad for Zevia—a zero-sugar, zero-calorie soda alternative. The clip, released on…
The rapper and singer’s real name is Jason Bradley DeFord. Because he was a chubby kid growing up, his mother came up with the nickname Jelly Roll. One of his high school classmates, who didn’t know what his mother called him at home also started calling him Jelly Roll.
Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesJelly Roll is making waves in the world of commercials with his latest appearance in a fun and quirky ad for Zevia—a zero-sugar, zero-calorie soda alternative. The clip, released on Monday (March 10), features the country-rap star pulling up to a vintage 1950s-style gas station in his red pickup truck.
Nearby, two young boys watch in awe as Jelly Roll steps out in slow motion, running his hands through his mullet. Dressed in a cut-off flannel, jean shorts, cowboy boots, and black sunglasses, he perfectly embodies the classic country man. The moment gets even better as Salt-N-Pepa’s 1993 hit, Whatta Man, plays in the background, adding a touch of humor and drama.
The Ultimate Soda Spokesman?
The boys can hardly believe their eyes.
“Jelly Roll? In a Zevia commercial? This is huge,” one exclaims as the artist grabs a Creamy Root Beer from a nearby fridge. The excitement builds as the boy explains, “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.”
His friend looks confused, but that doesn’t stop the first boy from continuing. “Mr. Roll is now, quite literally, the poster child for sweet authenticity,” he gushes.
Meanwhile, Jelly Roll takes a sip, burps, and smiles into the camera—sealing the moment with his signature laid-back charm.
Why Jelly Roll?
For the singer, teaming up with Zevia made perfect sense. Over the past year, he has been on a major health journey, revealing in late 2024 that he lost over 100 pounds.
“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 shared with Billboard. “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?”
A Chance to Have Fun
Beyond the health-conscious connection, Jelly Roll simply loved filming the ad.
“What I loved about this is it felt like we got to really play into the skit and have some fun with it,” he recalled with the outlet. “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
