The 7up logo is amongst the iconic designs in the global food and beverage industry. The soft drink company has internationally renowned brands, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as its competitors.
Over the years, the 7up logo has undergone many design changes to look fresh and eye-catching for the new generation of consumers. It was designed to convey the company’s brand message to the target audience. However, today, the logo is the company’s brand identity.
The company’s logo we see today differs from the one used in its initial business days. Since then, multiple design changes have occurred. This blog will take you to the 7up logo design history and evolution.
7up history
The history of 7 UP will introduce you the brand being just a lemon-lime flavored soft drink business. It was invented by Charles Leiper Grigg. Keurig Dr Pepper owns the company, and PepsiCo is its distributor.
It was in 1929 that the company first introduced the drink in the market as an innovative idea. During the initial days, the soft drink was known as “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime soda,” which talked about the raw material of the drink.
Eventually, the new brand name, 7Up Lithiated Lemon Soda, replaced the older one. But this was too lengthy for a brand name and was shortened in 1936 to 7Up.
The intention behind such a lengthy name was to tell the consumers what they could anticipate from the soft drink.
7Up logo meaning
What could be the meaning of the 7Up logo? Some experts have said the name suggests the number of primary ingredients used in the soft drink. Others opine that the original beverage had lithium content. Since the lithium metal has an atomic mass of 7, the drink has the number 7 in its name.
Then, others opine that this drink brand was packed in seven-ounce bottles. The company chose seven-ounce bottles to beat competitor Coca-Cola whose beverages were packed in six-ounce bottles.
Evolution of the 7 Up Logo design
The 7Up logo is a well-known symbol of a quality soft drink brand of global repute. But the logo was different than what we see today. Here is the 7Up logo history and how the logo has evolved over the years since its inception:
1929 – Designed for the bottle cap
The first 7 up logo design appeared in 1929 on the bottle’s metal cap. At that time, the emblem was known as Lithiated Lemon and Limes Soda, featuring white and thick letters against a dark green background.
1929-1930- Winged logo
The first seven up company logo lasted a few months before it was redesigned as a stylized “7” with wings. It had thick black lines and underlined uppercase letters of “UP.” The logo had a 3D effect with a tilt, making it look vibrant and dynamic.
1930-1931- The art-deco-inspired look
In 1930, the 7UP logo had an art-deco-inspired look, featuring a ‘7’ that appeared as tall and stylish. It also featured outlined bubbles of different sizes. A figure with raised hands also featured. The ‘UP’ was in modern sans-serif font.
1931-1939 – The badge logo
In 1931, the company introduced the 7Up logo in a badge shape, which became the precursor to the company’s different logos in the following decades. It had a three-dimensional effect, framed within a square. The seven up logo continued to be the company’s brand identity.
1939-1969 – Color introduced
In 1939, the logo first appeared in color. It was in a square badge shape with rounded corners. The logo had a red background with the bubbles. The top and bottom of the square were in black, giving the logo a unique look.
1969-1980 – Simplified design
In 1969, the red-colored logo was simplified and refined. The logo appeared in white with a red background. So, the logo became a white wordmark design. This time, it had no frames or additional graphics. The new design had a modern and minimalist logo look.
1980-1987- Sharp and stylish design
In 1980, the company recreated its logo’s typeface, making it appear sharper and stylish. An additional element of a large red dot was introduced, which the company still carries in its logo design. The red dot appeared between the ‘7’ and U, with the red and white color scheme continuing.
1987-1989 – Fresh color scheme
In 1987, the company developed a new color palette for its logo. This time, the green dominated the logo, with all the text and numbers having this color. The previously dominating red color was only present in the red dot element. This new color scheme was refreshing and looked unique adding to its brand identity.
1989-1995- Blue shadows removed
The company kept its previous green and red logo but made a minor change in 1989. It enlarged the logo to give it a dominant look. The lining or shadow at the edge of the letters and the number was removed for or a clean design. This logo lasted for five years.
1995-2000 – Stretched logo
In 1995, the 7UP logo had the same color scheme; nothing changed. But the logo had a stretched appearance. The logo color and design stretched upward and bent to the right. Also, the circle had a compressed and larger look.
2000-2010 – Elegant and italicized white logo
In 1993, the company completely removed the green color from the logo except on the outlines, which gave the design a new appearance. The logo appeared bent upward and styled as an italicized design.
There was a stylish vibe to the logo design. The red dot was larger and had a depth. A tagline in yellow and green appeared in the box below saying “100% Natural Flavors” in bold.
2010-2015 – A 3D logo
The logo’s overall design continued to look the same between 2010 and 2015. But this time, the outlines became thicker and greener. Also, the tagline underneath the logo was removed.
2015-Today- Simplified design
The last design change in the 7UP logo was made in 2015, when the thick outlines of the logo turned into thinner lines. That helped give the logo a refreshing look at that time. This sleek logo continues to be the brand identity of the company today.
That is how the 7Up logo evolved over the years. It shows how a company changes its logo to target a new set of customers in every passing decade.
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Wrapping Up
The 7Up logo is an iconic design that conveys the brand message cleanly to its target audience. Today, it is a green and red logo with thin outlines is known to everyone. However, the logo started its design journey in 1920 and has continued to evolve over the decades.