Diet 7-Up

While Diet 7-Up played in both the lemon-lime and the diet segment of the carbonated soft drinks market, it had existed as a simple line extension of the trademark. When total lemon-lime tonnage dropped by 3% in 2006, the team knew that the brand had to be properly positioned in order to thrive.

The extremely well-served diet category presented its own challenges, with every possible niche claim and perception already occupied. While it couldn’t be marketed as better for you in the rational sense, it could break through on an emotional level.

Research uncovered a host of factors affecting consumers’ attitudes toward the category. Simply put, the daily demands of life were weighing people down. BBDO repositioned Diet 7-Up as providing “moments of lightness,” which spoke to the product’s truths as a sugar-, caffeine- and calorie-free product delivering a simple, pleasurable sensory experience.

From this positioning, the agency developed “Diet 7-Up celebrates people that lighten our lives.” Two TV executions showcased Emoticon Susan and Elevator Small Talk Tony, who added fun and lightness to everyday life. The TV buy focused on entertainment, movies and music to reach consumers engaged in their own moments of lightness.

Within the first month, tonnage share increased by 10% versus the four weeks prior – the highest recorded for the brand since 2005. Over the year, 7-Up trademark share increased by 6.8%, despite a 58% decline in media spending overall. The work was also a winner on the awards circuit, with a Silver Lion at Cannes.