Starry (drink)

Last updated

Starry
Starry Lemon Lime Soda.svg
Product type Lemon-lime soft drink
Owner PepsiCo
CountryUnited States
IntroducedJanuary 1, 2023;14 months ago (2023-01-01)
Related brands Sierra Mist (predecessor)
Teem
Slice
Website starrylemonlime.com

Starry is a lemon-lime soft drink distributed by PepsiCo. Distribution began in January 2023. The brand is aimed at competing against Sprite and 7 Up. In January 2023, Starry replaced Sierra Mist as Pepsi's lemon-lime flavored drink, in part because Sierra Mist failed to gain market share in the growing category. [1] [2] Starry contains no caffeine, and as of April 2023 is available in Regular and Zero-Sugar varieties.

Contents

History

In July 2022, it was reported that PepsiCo purchased a domain name for a new brand of lemon-lime drink that would eventually replace Sierra Mist. [3] The following month, in August 2022, the company filed for a trademark for the brand name Starry as well as for a logo. [4]

A can of Starry Lemon-Lime Can of Starry Lemon-Lime Soda.png
A can of Starry Lemon-Lime

The brand began being distributed in stores in January 2023 with marketing geared towards Generation Z. [5] [6] [7] Bloomberg Businessweek reported industry analysts suggested a successful campaign to grab market share could mean taking 5–10% market share away from Sprite. [8]

Since the 2022-23 NBA season, Starry has been the sponsor of the annual Three-Point Contest as a part of All-Star weekend. [9] The sponsorship includes naming rights for the contest as well as 2 special "Starry Range" shot balls placed 6 feet behind the 3-point line. This partnership replaces Mountain Dew as the event's previous sponsor and "DEW Zone" as the special shot balls used during the contest. [10]

Starry is sold in cans in either 7.5 ounce or 12 ounce sizes, and in plastic bottles ranging in size from 16 ounces to two liters. [11] Since its inception, Starry has been composed of carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, and various preservatives. [12] Starry uses high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, unlike Sierra Mist, which was sweetened using cane sugar before it was discontinued. [13]

Reception

Reception to the drink on social media suggests many feel that Starry tastes similar to its predecessor Sierra Mist, [14] while others feel it tastes akin to Sprite, the longtime leader of the lemon-lime soft drink market. [15] Starry has been described as having a more prominent citrus flavor than Sierra Mist. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi</span> Soft drink by PepsiCo

Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo. As of 2023, Pepsi is the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long-standing rivalry in what has been called the "cola wars".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Dew</span> Carbonated soft drink brand

Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries, is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958. The rights to this formula were obtained by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia. William H. "Bill" Jones of the Tip Corporation further refined the formula, launching that version of Mountain Dew in 1961. In August 1964, the Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired from Tip by the Pepsi-Cola company, and the distribution expanded across the United States and Canada.

7 Up or Seven Up is an American brand of lemon-lime–flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatorade</span> Manufacturer of sports-themed beverage and food products

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Mist</span> Discontinued lemon-lime flavored soda

Sierra Mist is a discontinued lemon-lime flavored soft drink line. Originally introduced by PepsiCo in 1999, it was eventually made available in all US markets by 2003. The name is a play on Mountain Dew: "sierra" is the Spanish word for "mountain range" and both mist and dew are composed of water droplets. The drink was rebranded as "Mist Twst" in 2016, but reverted to Sierra Mist in 2018. In early 2023, Sierra Mist was replaced by Starry. The brand was aimed at competing with Sprite and 7 Up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slice (drink)</span> Fruit flavored soft drink

Slice was a line of fruit-flavored soft drinks originally manufactured by PepsiCo and introduced in 1984 but discontinued by PepsiCo in North America in the late 2000s. Slice was reintroduced in the United States and Canada as a brand of Organic food by "New Slice Ventures LLC", which acquired the trademark rights in those countries.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teem</span> Brand of soft drink

Teem was a brand of lemon-lime-flavored soft drink made by various companies across Middle East and Africa mainly. It was Pepsi who made it but has discontinued the product however may be available in some countries where it is mostly made locally. It was introduced in 1959 as Pepsi's answer to 7 Up.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster Beverage</span> American beverage company

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprite (drink)</span> Lemon-lime soft drink

Sprite is a clear, lemon-lime flavored soft drink created by the Coca-Cola Company. Sprite comes in multiple flavors, including cranberry, cherry, grape, orange, tropical, ginger, and vanilla. Ice, peach, Berryclear remix, and newer versions of the drinks are artificially sweetened. Sprite was created to compete primarily against 7-Up.

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References

  1. Simauchi, Kevin (January 11, 2023). "PepsiCo ends Sierra Mist, launches Starry to take on Sprite". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. Snider, Mike. "Goodbye, Sierra Mist. Hello to Starry, Pepsi's new lemon-lime soda to take on Sprite". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  3. "PepsiCo Launches Starry, A New Lemon-Lime Soda For the Kids, AKA, Gen Z". www.thedieline.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  4. "Starry Lemon Lime – Trademark Application of Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company – Serial Number 97534420". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  5. "Pepsico to Launch New Sprite Competition to Target Gen Z". Ad Age. January 6, 2023.
  6. "PepsiCo Partners". www.pepsicopartners.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  7. "PepsiCo Launches Starry, A New Lemon-Lime Soda For the Youngsters, AKA, Gen Z | Dieline". October 16, 2022.
  8. Pulley, Brett (April 21, 2023). "Sprite Is So Popular That Pepsi Launched a New Lemon-Lime War". Bloomberg Businessweek . Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  9. "All-Star 2023: Starry 3-Point Contest brings new twists". NBA.com. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. "What is Starry Range? NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest adds special long-distance shots | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  11. "Soft Drinks | Beverages". www.pepsicopartners.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  12. "Starry". www.pepsicopartners.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Romero, Gabby (April 14, 2023). "We Taste-Tested Starry And Sierra Mist To See If They're Actually Different". Delish. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  14. "Pepsi Replaces Sierra Mist with New Citrus Soda Starry". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  15. "RIP, Sierra Mist: Pepsi is ditching it for a new lemon-lime soda". TODAY.com. January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.