Spot Eliminated From 7up Spots

7Up plans to rub out Spot.

A 1996 marketing make-over will eliminate Spot, 7Up’s animated mascot. New ads will focus on “lifestyle imagery” and introduce the tagline, “It’s an Up Thing,” to target younger consumers and better compete with top-selling Sprite.

The soft-drink giant also is tweaking its formula, as many beverage companies regularly do, but no official changes are planned.

“As far as the normal consumer is concerned, the product will taste exactly the same,” said Gary Rollins, spokesman for Dr Pepper/Cadbury North America, which owns 7Up.

The ads, created by New York-based Young & Rubicam, were unveiled in Hawaii earlier this week during a bottlers meeting, and will debut next year. 7Up also is sprucing up its packaging by revamping its cans, adding a splash design and tilting its red dot logo.