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PLANO, Texas — 7UP is tapping into its roots as "The Uncola" to launch 7UP Retro, which sports packaging designed by "The Celebrity Apprentice" finalists Marlee Matlin and John Rich.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group brand said Wednesday that 7UP Retro offers the crisp, clean lemon-lime taste of 7UP made with real sugar in homage to the beverage’s heritage.
The packaging designs, which served as part of the "Celebrity Apprentice" contestants’ final task on the reality television show, celebrate the 7UP’s history from the "colorful decades" of the 1970s and 1980s and are available nationwide for a limited time only, according to the company. In addition, the brand has released limited-edition six-packs of 7UP Retro in green glass bottles at select retail locations.
"As 7UP has evolved over the years, we’ve always stayed true to our roots as The Uncola," commented Jim Trebilcock, executive vice president of marketing for Dr Pepper Snapple Group. "We’re excited to partner with ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ to see what this year’s contestants can bring to a brand that has been a great-tasting part of Americana for more than eight decades."
For the final task of this season’s "The Celebrity Apprentice," Matlin and Rich worked with a team of former opponents to develop brand packaging and an in-store marketing campaign inspired by the 1970s and 1980s for 7UP Retro. Finalists were given 7UP logos from the 1970s and the 1980s and then had to use their imaginations. They also were challenged to produce a 30-second TV spot to promote the new designs and to plan a star-studded launch event to introduce 7UP Retro to the brand’s bottlers, retail partners and consumer.
Matlin, an Oscar-winning actress and spokeswoman for the hearing impaired, is competing on behalf of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Her 1970s-style marketing campaign features a flashy disco-ball can design, a TV commercial with a cameo from 7UP ad icon Geoffrey Holder, and a launch event with a performance by the Harlem Globetrotters.
Award-winning musician and producer John Rich, who competed on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, developed a 1980s-themed campaign with eye-popping packaging with bold zebra stripes, a 30-second commercial featuring singer Dee Snider from rock band Twisted Sister and hosted a 1980s-style launch event with a special performance by the rock group Def Leppard.
7UP said it will donate $50,000 to each of the finalists’ charities, the Starkey Hearing Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
