Leena Watts
7 Up, also known as 7UP or Seven Up, is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavoured soft drink created by Charles Leiper Grigg and launched in 1929. Over the years, the drink has undergone several name changes and formula adjustments. In 2020, 7 Up introduced a new product called 7 Up Zero Sugar, which some consumers believed to be a rebranded version of Diet 7 Up with a modified formula and enhanced lemon-lime flavour. While the ingredients remained the same, some noticed a difference in taste and texture, with the new version being described as syrupy and lacking the crispness of its predecessor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original Name | Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda |
| Name Change | The name was changed to 7 Up in 1937 |
| Reason for Name Change | The federal government forced the manufacturer to remove health claims and references to lithium as an ingredient |
| Current Name | 7UP Zero Sugar |
| Current Ingredients | Filtered carbonated water, citric acid, potassium citrate, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, natural flavors, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor) |
| Taste | Some consumers report that 7UP Zero Sugar tastes different from the original Diet 7UP, with a stronger lemon-lime flavor and a less crisp, more syrupy texture |
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What You'll Learn
7 Up's formula and branding are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper
7 Up, also known as 7UP or Seven Up, is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavoured non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, while the beverage is distributed internationally by PepsiCo, except in the UK, where it is distributed by Carlsberg Britvic, PepsiCo's designated UK distributor.
The history of 7 Up dates back to the 1920s when Charles Leiper Grigg founded The Howdy Corporation in St. Louis in 1920. Grigg formulated the recipe for a lemon-lime soft drink in 1929, and the product was launched just two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of the same year. The drink was initially called "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" and contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug. However, in 1936, the federal government ordered the manufacturer to remove several health claims, including those related to lithium, as it was not an actual ingredient. As a result, the name was changed to "7 Up Lithiated Lemon Soda" in 1937 and later shortened to just "7 Up" in 1936.
Over the years, the 7 Up logo and branding have undergone numerous design changes to stay fresh and appealing to new generations of consumers. The logo has evolved from a three-dimensional badge shape in 1931 to a modern and minimalist wordmark design in 1969. The company has also used various marketing strategies and mascots, such as Fresh-Up Freddie in the 1950s and the cartoon character "Fido Dido" in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In terms of formula changes, 7 Up faced some controversy in 2007 when the Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue the company. As a result, 7 Up stopped being marketed as "100% natural" and instead promoted as having "100% Natural Flavors". Additionally, in 2011, 7 Up began test-marketing a formula called 7 Up Retro, which used sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
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$3.28 $3.57
The drink is distributed internationally by PepsiCo
7 Up (stylized as 7UP) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, although the beverage is distributed internationally by PepsiCo. In 1986, PepsiCo purchased the international division of the Seven-Up Company from Philip Morris Companies for $246 million. This acquisition was a strategic move by PepsiCo to expand its global presence and compete with Coca-Cola, which had a stronger international footprint at the time.
It is important to note that PepsiCo's distribution of 7 Up does not include the UK market. In the United Kingdom, 7 Up is distributed by Carlsberg Britvic, which is PepsiCo's designated distributor in the country.
The relationship between 7 Up and PepsiCo has had some interesting dynamics over the years. For instance, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the cartoon character Fido Dido was used as a 7 Up mascot in international markets, including those where PepsiCo distributed the product. However, when it came to the US market, PepsiCo did not own the rights to 7 Up, so they adapted the Fido Dido ads to promote their own Slice brand of lemon-lime soda.
In the early 2000s, Orlando Jones served as the spokesperson for 7 Up in the United States, appearing in a series of memorable commercials. One notable ad featured him wearing a t-shirt with 7 Up's then-slogan, "Make 7 Up Yours," divided between the front and back, with a playful double entendre on the back. This t-shirt became a popular item sold by 7 Up through specialty retailers for many years.
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7 Up was originally called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda
7 Up, the American brand of lemon-lime-flavoured non-caffeinated soft drink, was originally called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda. The drink was created by Charles Leiper Grigg, who launched his St. Louis-based company, The Howdy Corporation, in 1920. Grigg formulated the drink in 1929, and it was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of the same year.
The name "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" was quite a mouthful, and so it was soon shortened to "7 Up Lithiated Lemon-Lime", and then simply "7 Up". The "lithiated" in the original name came from the drink's ingredient, lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug used to treat mental health issues like bipolar disorder, depression, or mania. It was one of several patent medicine products that were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The drink's name changed to "7 Up Lithiated Lemon Soda" in 1930 or 1931, and the beverage became just "7 Up" in 1937 when the federal government forced the manufacturer to remove a number of health claims, including the use of lithium, which was not actually an ingredient.
The "Bib-Label" part of the name, meanwhile, is said to refer to the practice of hanging a piece of paper around the neck of a soda bottle like a bib. The trademark "SEVEN-UP" was granted in 1928, and a 1929 taste test advertisement featured a flying "7up" logo.
Since its launch in 1929, 7 Up has been reformulated several times. In 2006, the US version of the product was changed to be marketed as "100% natural". This was achieved by eliminating the chelating agent calcium disodium EDTA and replacing sodium citrate with potassium citrate to reduce the beverage's sodium content. This reformulation contains no fruit juice and is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in the US.
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The drink's name changed to 7 Up in 1937
The soft drink 7 Up was created by Charles Leiper Grigg, who launched his St. Louis–based company The Howdy Corporation in 1920. Grigg formulated the soft drink in 1929, and the product was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The drink was initially marketed as an over-the-counter medicine and was known as ""Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda". This name reflected the inclusion of lithium citrate in the drink, which was a mood-stabilizing drug and was used to help treat manic or bipolar disorders.
In 1936, the federal government forced the manufacturer to remove several health claims, including the presence of lithium, which was not an actual ingredient. As a result, the name was shortened to "7 Up Lithiated Lemon Soda" in 1936 and then to simply ""7 Up" in 1937. The origin of the name "7 Up" is unclear, but there are several popular theories. One theory suggests that the name refers to the seven main ingredients in the drink. Another theory claims that the number 7 alludes to the atomic mass of lithium, which was originally included in the recipe. A third theory posits that the name refers to the drink's packaging, as 7 Up was packaged in seven-ounce bottles when most other soft drinks were sold in six-ounce bottles.
The evolution of the 7 Up logo has undergone several changes over the years. The early logo incorporated design elements such as bubbles and the color green against a white background to represent the carbonated nature of the drink. The number 7 in the logo was sometimes depicted with wings, adding a stylish touch. The branding and messaging of 7 Up during this period were highly successful and helped establish the brand's dominance in the soda market.
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Diet 7 Up has been rebranded as 7 Up Zero Sugar
In the late 1980s through the early 1990s, the cartoon character Fido Dido was used as a mascot in international markets, and was reintroduced in the early 2000s. In the US, certain ads featuring Fido Dido were instead reworked to advertise PepsiCo's Slice brand of lemon-lime soda. In the early 2000s, Orlando Jones served as the spokesperson for 7 Up in the United States.
7 Up Zero Sugar has faced mixed reviews since its release. Some consumers have complained that the new drink is too sweet-tasting and quite a bit worse than the 'diet' version. Others have praised its crisp, clean, refreshing taste. Many have noted that the formula tastes different, with some claiming that the ingredients are sourced differently or that the proportions have changed.
The ingredients listed on the 7 Up website for their Zero Sugar product are: filtered carbonated water, citric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate (preservative), aspartame, acesulfame potassium, natural flavors, and calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor).
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Diet 7Up changed its name to 7Up Zero Sugar. The ingredients remain the same, but some consumers claim that the formula has changed, resulting in a different taste.
One theory is that the name change occurred because the term "diet" is less appealing to younger generations, such as Gen Z.
While the ingredients are the same, some consumers claim that 7Up Zero Sugar has a more pronounced lemon-lime taste and is slightly more carbonated, resulting in a less crisp and more syrupy texture.
