'Game of Thrones' Ad Only Adding to Momentum, says SodaStream CEO
Shares of SodaStream (SODA) - Get Report are bubbling over, up 125% year-to-date, and gaining more momentum after a Street-beating earnings report last month and a new ad campaign. SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum does not expect the company to lose its fizz anytime soon. SodaStream's provocative "Shame or Glory" advertisement sheds light on plastic bottle pollution and features Game of Thrones characters The Mountain and Septa Unella. The video has gone authentically viral, having netted more than 50 million views since its late-November release. SodaStream has received multiple cease and desist letters from bottled water groups that have taken issue with the campaign including the French National Federation of Packaged and Bottled Water and the U.S.-based International Bottled Water Association. For the third quarter, SodaStream reported earnings of 69 cents per share, far surpassing analysts' consensus estimates of 23 cents per share. And when it came to revenue, SodaStream also exceeded Wall Street's expectations, clocking a sales rise of 12.9%, to $124.2 million, versus analysts' forecast of $116.5 million. SodaStream's top-line performance included a 23% increase in sparkling water maker unit sales to 788,000, its highest quarterly figure in nearly two years. During the third quarter, the company saw an all-time quarterly record 7.7 million gas refills.
