dr pepper

Effies, Edge & Enduring Lessons

Summary: The campaigns that re-energized 7UP, Hawaiian Punch, and Sunkist became the blueprint for how Left Off Madison builds today’s challenger brands.

Services Provided For This Project:

Multicultural Consultation
Target Audience Assessment
Consumer Insights
Strategy
Media Planning & Buying
Digital Media Planning & Buying
Creative
Social Content
Production
Consumer Promotions
Strategic Alliances
Event Sponsorship
Event Activation
Celebrity Talent
Publicity & Public Relations

Before Left Off Madison was Left Off Madison, our founders helped rewrite the rules of beverage marketing.

At a time when Pepsi and Coke dominated shelf space, Keurig Dr Pepper’s portfolio was losing share, cultural traction, and relevance with a generation that wasn’t paying attention to “legacy” soft drinks.

Our challenge: reposition and relaunch a portfolio of iconic brands — from 7UP to Sunkist to Hawaiian Punch — and make them matter again to modern consumers.

We built what would become the Left Off Madison DNA: insight-driven strategy, cultural fluency, and fearless creativity.

Across six brands, we reimagined positioning, brand identity, and storytelling to reconnect each with its core consumer in a way that felt fresh, relevant, and human.

CLICK ON LOGO OR SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW ABRIDGED CASE STUDY

Those early wins built the foundation of Left Off Madison’s modern playbook: Strategic repositioning. Cultural immersion. Category-defying creativity.

The same thinking that re-energized 7UP now powers our work for Panasonic, Ajinomoto, and ASR Motorsport.

Markets change. Consumers evolve. But our formula — insight + culture + creativity — still delivers results that last.

A forgotten lemon-lime lost its voice. We gave it one.

Introduced a bold, irreverent personality with Orlando Jones

Remixed the category through tone, humor, and cultural timing
Reversed years of sales decline into growth

Outcome: Massive pop culture lift, an Effie, and a five-year run that reintroduced 7UP to modern consumers.

Illustration of a cartoon boy with a red bowl haircut and a mischievous smile, wearing a blue and white striped shirt, sitting with crossed legs, showing a gesture of a punch, next to the words "Hawaiian Punch" in blue text.

Bold Flavor, Bold Culture

We leaned into bold flavor and bold communities.

Repositioned for African and Hispanic-American youth culture
Tapped cultural trend of incorporating characters into apparel
Collaborated with Shepard Fairey + Loud Records

Result: +5% lift on 20oz, proof that cultural relevance drives commercial results.

RECORDING ARTIST, BLACK THOUGHT OF THE ROOTS

RECORDING ARTIST, KURUPT (THE DOGG POUND)

Group of seven young men standing outdoors, holding white bags with a soccer ball graphic and Arabic text, wearing casual clothing and backpacks.

A group of people gathered outdoors, holding posters and banners, some wearing casual clothing and others in formal attire, with a backdrop of trees, power lines, and a cloudy sky.

A tall billboard with a vintage Coca-Cola advertisement featuring a cartoon character holding a bottle, situated next to a utility pole with power lines in an urban area with buildings and parked cars.

People sitting at a table with a red and white checkered tablecloth, eating food, in a festive indoor setting with decorated balloons and other guests in the background.

can you spot the punchy jacket in these music videos?

A Spin-Off Before Spin-Offs Were a Thing

Pepsi and Coke launched energy lines. We flipped 7UP, literally.

dNL (inverted 7UP) became the caffeinated challenger
Youth-driven identity built on rebellion and surprise
Co-create key artwork with Shepard Fairey and Dave Kinsey

Result: Cultural buzz, press momentum, and halo growth across the portfolio. Ranked #2 behind Nike by Advertising Age for Best Nontraditional Campaigns.

CO-CREATED BY SHEPARD FAIREY & DAVE KINSEY. PALINDROM CREATED BY COLLEAGUE JEREMY BRITTAIN.

A promotional graphic for a basketball-themed game called 'Flip It Shot' with a green background, featuring instructions about winning a $5 million prize by sinking a half-court shot during halftime of a college hoops tournament, and catching the shot while hanging upside down.

PAC10 SEMI-FINAL HALF-TIME STUNT. HE MISSED.

A colorful basketball-themed display for Dole, featuring a court with a yellow and green area, basketball hoops, and large screens with the Dole logo and the slogan 'Flip It Shot'. There is also a magazine cover with football players in the lower left corner.

Event flyer featuring Felix Da Housecat with Marcus & Dominique at Centro-Fly, Chicago, on Saturday, December 14, presented by Flip Sessions, Green Slice, and DNL.

Poster for Groove Armada concert at The Roxy on Thursday, August 28, featuring DJ Jools Butterfield and Tim 'Love' Lee, with live percussion, advanced ticket purchase recommended.

Poster advertising the Stones Throw Showcase and Jaylib record release party at the El Rey Theatre on October 10, with featured artists Madlib Peanut Butter Wolf, Wildchild, Dudley Perkins, Oh No, Medaphoar, DJ Romes, and Egon. The poster includes a photo of a person with a censored face, surrounded by musical equipment and records.

Concert poster advertising a Jurassic 5 concert with Talib Kweli, scheduled for Saturday, January 11, 2003, at The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd. Doors open at 7 PM, featuring an outdoor stage with a crowd and DJs.

Zero Before Zero Was a Trend

Before “zero sugar” was the category, we made it the narrative.

Positioned as the zero-calorie, zero-carb choice for the wellness-minded
Survived competitive assaults from Pepsi and Coke

Result: Effie-winning repositioning that predicted the future of soft drinks.

Advertisement for Diet Rite sodas with the slogan 'go for zero.' The ad highlights zero carbs, zero calories, zero caffeine, and seven flavors, featuring cans of Cola, Raspberry, and Orange flavors, with bright, colorful text and graphics on a white background.

Advertisement for Diet Rite cola featuring cans of zero-calorie, caffeine-free soda with various flavors, emphasizing the message to go for zero.

From Refreshment to Experience

We energized the brand beyond flavor.

Charged Experiences” unlocked creativity and youth culture
Once-in-a-lifetime collabs with creators and music icons ranging from Marc Ecko and Bryan Barber to BET Comic View and California Superbike School.
Collaborated with artists Shepard Fairey and Dave Kinsey for key artwork.

Outcome: Early influencer-era playbook, fan energy, brand heat, ongoing lift.

Below: multiple-page, pull-out poster inserted into key print publications announcing the consumer promotion.