7-Up Cool Spot

Did you know 7-Up was the soda Sprite calculated to squash?  Coca-Cola concocted Sprite to compete with 7-Up. Sprite won by 1978 by capturing the majority of the lemon-lime soda market.  Still, I have found memories of 7-Up, primarily because of this guy...

Cool Spot

I didn't know this guy's name until I just looked it up, but I remember seeing him in 7-Up commercials as a kid. I vaguely remember him in some contest where the object was to try to find "Cool Spot" after he had gone missing somehow.  (If anyone has more information on this contest, please let me know.)  Cool Spot was born in 1987, but he must be off at college or somewhere at this point because I haven't seen him around lately, at least with his arms, legs, and sunglasses.

Cool Spot Going Nintendo

Cool Spot had an impressive advertising linage.  His great-grandfather in the 1940s was simply the title 7UP soaring through the sky with wings.  His 1960s grandfather was the tagline "The Un-Cola."  His father was the mantra "No Caffeine" to make it stand apart from other drinks in a decade where people started thinking hey, caffeine could be bad for me! Cool Spot came along in 1987 riding his way into video games, as seen on the left.  But his son was the sassy campaign "Make 7-Up Yours," by far the most giggle inducing soda tag line to date.  Sadly, you don't hear that campaign anymore. Then again, you also don't much 7-Up advertising these days.  Sad.