GlobeNewswire Inc | Oct 6, 2021 08:30AM EDT

October 06, 2021

CHICAGO, Oct. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jones Soda Co. (OTCQB: JSDA) (Jones Soda or the Company), the original craft soda known for its unconventional flavors and user-designed label artwork, today announced a new series of augmented reality (AR) labels featuring the widely recognized fortune teller character Zoltar reading humorous fortunes in short videos triggered by the Jones Soda app and a phone camera. The series follows last summers debut of Jones Soda AR labels showcasing extreme athletes and artists in action.

Hitting store shelves in the U.S. and Canada this month, the new labels were made possible by an agreement with Zoltar brand owner Characters Unlimited and its licensing agency, Firefly Brand Management. The labels will appear on Jones Sodas top-selling Orange and Cream, Cream Soda, Berry Lemonade, Root Beer and Green Apple flavors, extending the companys strategy of utilizing AR to provide a unique vehicle for brand storytelling as well as a compelling way of engaging with younger consumers.

The Zoltar labels and other Jones Soda offerings will be showcased at Jones Sodas North Hall Booth #2435 at the NACS Show 2021 running this week at Chicagos McCormick Place, along with Character Unlimiteds animatronicZoltarfortune telling machine.

Each Zoltar-themed AR label features an image of the turbaned fortune teller character and a Reel Label icon indicating the bottles AR capability. All fortunes are cleverly customized to combine Zoltars infinite wisdom with Jones Soda messaging, delivered in Zoltars signature voice, and captured in a shareable text-based screenshot replicating fortune cards dispensed by animatronic Zoltar machines.

Our AR labels are unique in the soda category, a perfect fit for our brand personality, and a cornerstone of our content strategy to help attract new consumers in our demographic, said Mark Murray, president and CEO of Jones Soda. The Zoltar character is ideally suited to our AR initiative because he is instantly recognizable as an animated character. You cant look at him without wanting to hear what he has to say about your future, even though you know its all in good fun.

We have licensed Zoltar across many platforms through our relationship with Firefly Brand Management, but this is the first time that our beloved Zoltar is appearing on soda bottles, said Olaf Stanton, President and CEO of Characters Unlimited. Its a whole new way of bringing Zoltar to life and one of the most creative uses of the character we have seen to date.

About Jones Soda Co. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Jones Soda Co. (OTCQB: JSDA) markets and distributes premium beverages under the Jones Soda and Lemoncocco brands. A leader in the premium soda category, Jones Soda is made with pure cane sugar and other high-quality ingredients, and is known for packaging that incorporates ever-changing photos sent in from its consumers. Jones diverse product line offers something for everyone pure cane sugar soda, zero-calorie soda and Lemoncocco non-carbonated premium refreshment. Jones is sold across North America in glass bottles, cans and on fountain through traditional beverage outlets, restaurants and alternative accounts. For more information, visit www.jonessoda.com or www.myjones.com or www.drinklemoncocco.com.

About Characters Unlimited Inc. For more than 30 years, Characters Unlimited has specialized in designing and building animatronic people, birds, animals, fortune teller machines, dinosaurs and more. All of Characters Unlimited's products are built by hand in Boulder City, Nevada. Zoltar is a trademark of Characters Unlimited Inc. The famous animatronic fortune telling machine can be found in hundreds of locations around the world including arcades, attractions, theme parks, gift shops, and homes. Through inspiring fortunes, simple animatronics, and a wholesome, fun brand, Zoltar provides amusement for all ages. For more Information, visit https://www.charactersunlimited.com or www.zoltar.org.

Investor Relations ContactCody Slach and Cody CreeGateway Investor Relations1-949-574-3860JSDA@gatewayir.com

Media Relations ContactJim Capalbojim@jillschmidtpr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/11275b65-bc7a-48ad-b075-536c264cbce2