Seven Up

Keurig Dr Pepper isn’t exactly lighting up the lemon-lime soda category with the August reformulation of 7UP. The Original "Uncola” brand now has a lime-led formulation. The re-launch is a yawner.

In introducing new 7UP on Aug. 10, Drew Panayiotou, KDP’s chief marketing and innovation officer, called it a bold reinvention of one of America’s most iconic soda brands for a new generation of consumers.

“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,” he said.

KDP promises a “Flip the Sip” multi-platform marketing campaign to support new 7UP. The push would celebrate the unexpected through social storytelling, cultural moments and in-store experiences nationwide.

New 7UP has fallen flat, so far. It’s pretty much a buzz-free affair. I only found out about new 7UP after seeing an ad atop a taxi cab in midtown.

Part of the problem may be that the taste difference between the old lemon-lime soda and the lime-lemon version is “almost imperceptible,” discovered “only if you’re truly searching for it,” according to Bailey Fink of allrecipes.com who conducted a taste test.

“If you didn’t know that the recipe was changed, you likely wouldn’t notice a difference at all,” wrote the news editor of All Recipes. “So, if you were worried that this recipe change might ruin your go-to soda, you’re in the clear.”

That’s not the market disruption that KDP was looking for

New 7UP is not going to have people demanding a return to the old formulation a la the consumer revolt that Coca-Cola triggered with the 1985 launch of new Coke.

Coca-Cola has now successfully spun that marketing blunder into somewhat of a bold strategic masterpiece. On its website, it notes that April 23, 1985, was a day that will live in marketing infamy.

“On that day, The Coca‑Cola Company took arguably the biggest risk in consumer goods history, announcing that it was changing the formula for the world's most popular soft drink, and spawning consumer angst the likes of which no business has ever seen.”

The reformulated Coca‑Cola was the first formula change in 99 years.

Instead of re-energizing the brand, new Coke created a firestorm of consumer protest that forced the company 79 days later to bring back the original formula.

Marking the 10-year anniversary of "new Coke,” CEO Roberto Goizueta said the most significant result of new Coke by far was that it sent “an incredibly powerful signal that we really were ready to do whatever was necessary to build value for the owners of our business.”

Coke believes that withdrawing the original brand from the market reminded consumers how much they loved classic coke.

The return of old Coke led two of the three national national newscasts and landed on the front page of nearly every newspaper in the US.

Now that’s powerful PR.

Tensions with Hegseth. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned because of differences with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to The Atlantic.

Driscoll met with Donald Trump last week to tell the president how many generals and other top officers were fired, pushed out or passed over for promotion under Hegseth.

Trump was surprised and expressed concern over the cuts to Army leadership.

That sad state of affairs didn’t stop White House spokesperson Anna Kelly from releasing a statement that has no basis in reality.

“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Dept. of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russian and Ukraine.

"The US Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War.”

Words like those are why the White House staff lacks any shred of credibility.

Enlisting allies for DOD’s war on woke. While Hegseth is demolishing leadership at the Army, the Pentagon is paying influencers to amplify his anti-woke ravings.

The Washington Post reported that DOD is using conservative veterans with large social media followings to praise Hegseth’s leadership and blast his critics.

One of the recruits got a letter published by the DC Post that backed Hegseth’s effort to cut the number of military officers who attend elite universities on fellowships.

Another posted a video on X of Hegseth praising the sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln who suffered morale problems from their long deployment at sea. “We are lucky to have @PeteHegseth,” wrote a retired Army colonel.

Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger posted that it appears the Pentagon is using your tax dollars to put out partisan talking points.

Of course it is. Posting propaganda is much easier than trying to figure out a way to withdraw from the war with Iran.