September 04 2026
The classic brand conjures up a compelling conspiracy theory to stand out from the pack(ed citrus soft drink category).
Brand refreshes are always big leaps of faith. Especially when said brand is doing an about-face in a category they basically pioneered nearly a century ago. But for its latest campaign, 7Up is doing just that and they’re taking consumers on a trippy ride with them in the process.
The Keurig Dr Pepper-owned brand, one of the stalwarts in the lemon-lime soft drink category since 1928, released The Illemonati, a sneaky teaser film announcing the brand’s “liberation” from the category by positing that consumers have been spoon-fed by a sinister group the conspiracy theory that lemons are more superior than its bolder-hued and flavored citric counterpart. BBH USA created the film and additional “reveal” content, which supports the brand’s reformulation and packaging refresh led by Deutsch.
The creative is as bold as the decision, which is kind of the point, considering the battle for shelf space in supermarkets these days. It also makes a compelling case that there really are too many lemon-lime options in the market, so we welcome 7Up’s zesty change-up.
