Just three years after its last major rebrand, 7UP has unveiled another brand new look. But this time, it isn’t just the branding that’s different. The flavour of the drink itself has also been tweaked – a change that’s strongly reflected in the new identity.
7UP’s new look (and taste) puts lime in the spotlight, with the drink now referred to as “lime lemon” as opposed to “lemon and lime”. No, it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite so easily, although time will tell whether it actually tastes better on it.
“The debut of 7UP Lime Lemon marks the category’s first lime-led formula designed to strengthen the brand’s distinctiveness and appeal with a new generation of drinkers,” announces Keurig Dr Pepper. “As the Original Uncola, 7UP built its reputation by challenging conventions and offering consumers something different. Today, the brand is returning to those roots with a renewed focus on differentiation, introducing a distinctive lime-forward taste and bold new visual identity designed to help the brand stand out in one of the largest segments in carbonated soft drinks”
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“This is a bold reinvention of one of America’s most iconic soda brands for a new generation of consumers – starting with the flavor itself,” said Drew Panayiotou, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). “7UP has an incredible legacy, but by giving lime the spotlight, we’re rewriting the rules of the lemon lime category. We are transforming a beloved heritage brand into a modern disruptor—delivering a sharper visual identity, a more refreshing taste experience, and a distinct position that attracts new users and deepens brand loyalty.”
The new branding is clean and striking, and like many brands over the last few years, 7UP seems to be harking back to its roots with a soft, retro wordmark.
But ‘lime lemon’ is bound to be contentious. Like ‘chalk and cheese’ or ‘knife and fork’, ‘lemon and lime’ is arguably an irreversible binomial – which means it’s a conventional phrase that doesn’t sound natural the other way round. ‘Lime lemon’ feels vaguely heretical, like ‘pepper and salt’, or ‘bolts and nuts’.
Of course, the brand is targeting the yoof with this one. “72% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z consumers gravitate toward citrus-forward flavours”, Keurig Dr Pepper says, citing this as the driving factor behind the shift towards evolving 7UP’s taste to a “brighter, lime-first profile.”
The short and long of it is that the new drink tastes more like lime. We’ll have to wait until the new formula hits the shelves to see whether Gens Z and Alpha fall heels over head for it.
