The lemon-lime soft drink 7-Up has been a fixture of America's refrigerators (see entry under 1910s—The Way We Lived in volume 1) for many years. At various times, it has been the number three–selling soft drink in the world, outpaced by only Coca-Cola (see entry under 1900s—Food and Drink in volume 1) and Pepsi. Its offbeat ad campaigns, emphasizing the differences between the refreshing flavor of 7-Up and the heavy cola taste of its rivals, have helped shape the brand's quirky image and inspired numerous imitators.
7-Up was first formulated in 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Howdy Corporation originally marketed it under the name the "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda," although it soon changed its name to 7-Up Lithiated Lemon Soda. There are various explanations for the name 7-Up. Some claimed that there are (or were) seven ingredients in 7-Up. Others contend that the original 7-Up bottle was seven ounces, or that the drink was named after a popular card game of the 1930s. No one knows for sure. In any case, the company became The Seven-Up Co. in 1936.
By the late 1940s, 7-Up had become the third best-selling soft drink in the world. It enjoyed its greatest period of popularity in the 1970s, however, when an ad campaign dubbed it "the Uncola." Television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) commercials and print ads featuring the catchy tagline helped cement 7-Up's image in the public mind as a refreshing alternative to co*ke and Pepsi.
Inevitably, 7-Up's popularity began to slip, as new drinks, like the Coca-Cola Company's lemon-lime Sprite, caught the public's fancy. By 1996, 7-Up had fallen to the eighth best-selling soft drink with about 2.4 percent of the market. Sprite was fourth at 5.8 percent.
In 1997, the makers of 7-Up announced the first major changes to the soft drink's formula. The new taste was designed to produce a "better blend of lemon and lime flavors," according to a company spokesman, and to help 7-Up compete with Sprite. Despite the change, however, 7-Up sales continued to stagnate. Sales did not begin to rise again until the turn of the twenty-first century, when a hip new ad campaign featuring comedian Orlando Jones (1968–) and the tagline "Make 7-Up Yours" breathed new life into an old brand.
—Robert E. Schnakenberg
For More Information
Dietz, Lawrence. Soda Pop: The History, Advertising, Art, and Memorabilia of Soft Drinks in America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973.
Rodengen, Jeffrey L. The Legend of Dr. Pepper/7-Up. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Write Stuff Books, 1995.
7-UP.http://www.7up.com (accessed January 23, 2002).
FAQs
Lithium citrate was removed from 7Up in 1948 after it was banned by the Food and Drug Administration. Lithium citrate is used as a mood stabilizer and is used to treat mania, hypomania, depression and bipolar disorder. It can be administered orally in the form of a syrup.
What does the 7 in 7 Up stand for? ›
Britvic claims that the name comes from the seven main ingredients in the drink, while others have claimed that the number was a coded reference to the lithium contained in the original recipe, which has an atomic mass of 7.
What was 7 Up originally made for? ›
7 Up: Originally an Antidepressant | Office for Science and Society - McGill University.
What happened to 7 Up? ›
By 2022, 7 Up's sales were flatter than day-old carbonation, encompassing less than 3% of the total soft drink market, according to Beverage Digest. And while 7 Up is still around today, it's not as widely available as other soft drinks, particularly in restaurants, which purchase soft drink syrups in bulk quantities.
Is lithium still in 7Up? ›
Lithium was removed from the soda after 1948, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned it as an ingredient in beer and soft drinks.
What is the oldest soda? ›
Vernor's boasts the oldest soda in America, but not the world. That belongs to Schweppe's, who created a carbonated mineral water in 1783. Other old sodas include Hires Root Beer (1876), Moxie 1876, Dr. Pepper (1885) Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi (1893.
What was the old slogan for 7 Up? ›
1930s: "Fresh up with 7Up." "Take some along." "7UP - You Like It, It Likes You."
Is Dr Pepper a 7 Up product? ›
(DPSU, or Dr Pepper 7UP, Inc.)
It was created by the merger of Dr Pepper, Inc. and The 7 Up Company on May 19, 1986. The merger was a result of the independent bailouts of both companies and the subsequent Federal Trade Commission blockage of a Dr Pepper merger with Coca-Cola.
What's better, Sprite or 7 Up? ›
There's a clear difference between 7up and Sprite. 7up has a much brighter and fresher taste. I could even say it's more crisp. It's a bit harder to tell the difference between co*ke and Pepsi but there's most certainly a difference.
Why is 7UP so addictive? ›
The combination of sugar, caffeine, and that oh-so-pleasurable taste activates your brain's reward pathways. It releases neurotransmitters like dopamine, the pleasure hormone, giving you that feel-good sensation. Over time, your brain starts associating sodas with happiness, making it even harder to resist.
7-Up, the 85-year-old citrus soft drink, once went by the less-catchy name “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda” -- and it was packed with mood-enhancing lithium. Lithium, a salt found in groundwater, has long been used to treat bipolar disorder and depression.
What is the red dot on 7UP? ›
So the red dot is a simplification of the original design, which introduced the red colour and the bubble motif. The motivation was probably to break the symbol out of its container and emphasise its distinctive shape while retaining some continuity.
What was removed from Dr Pepper back in the 1950s? ›
The period (full stop) after Dr was used intermittently in Dr Pepper logos until the 1950s, when, after some debate, it was discarded permanently, for stylistic and legibility reasons.
What was Starry soda called before? ›
Sierra Mist and Starry are part of a long lineage
But before puting too much stake in Starry's success, you should know that Sierra Mist was once in the same spot. Sierra Mist wasn't PepsiCo's first lemon-lime soda.
What's the difference between 7UP and Starry? ›
“The sweetness is front and center and the lemon/lime flavor is subtle,” they say, adding that, while Starry is clear in color like Sprite and 7Up, it struck them as a little less carbonated than those drinks.
Why did they stop prescribing lithium? ›
It has long been known that lithium has toxic effects on the thyroid gland and the kidneys. The thyroid toxicity, caused primarily by lithium's interference with thyroid hormones' release from the gland (19) affects up to 19% of treated patients (20).
Why did the FDA ban lithium? ›
Lithium was initially used to treat depression, gout, and neutropenia, and for cluster headache prophylaxis, but it fell out of favor because of its adverse effects. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of lithium in the 1940s because of fatalities but lifted the ban in 1970.
Why was lithium citrate banned? ›
As far as why the FDA banned lithium in soft drinks in the late '40s, it was simply because people were just consuming too much of it. And not just from their favorite sodas. They were getting it from their beer, as a medical treatment and even as a low-sodium alternative to table salt.
Is lithium Oral Solution discontinued? ›
Lithium citrate oral solution, 8 mEq/5 mL, is currently listed in the “Discontinued Drug Product List” section of the Orange Book.
