BACK IN THE LATE 70'S 7-UP DID THESE SOUVENIR BOTTLES ON BASKET BALL TEAMS AND THE INDY 500, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BOTTLES ARE WORTH?

7-Up goes back to 1920, from a small bottling plant near St. Louis. Many advertising strategies were used over the years. In the 1940s, a bikini-clad woman (line drawing) was next to the logo on bottles. 7-Up was first canned in 1957. In TV commercials and comic book ads, a cartoon bird named Fresh-Up Freddie appeared. On TV, 7-Up was heavily promted on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" over ABC (1957-58), and the Disney adventure series, "Zorro" with Guy Williams, over ABC (1958-60). Fresh Up Freddie was retired by 1962. Eight years of dull advertising followed. By 1971, the campaign turned psychedelic, with elaborately animated commercials, donning the Un-Cola nickname.

From the daytime TV vault, Dick Clark struggles with two 7-Up props during "American Bandstand" on ABC from Philadelphia (12/57). First, a vending machine taking time to give him a bottle. Second, he fumbles with a cutout figure of the mascot, Fresh-Up Freddie. During another break, the dancers rush Clark to get their bottles. In the first few months, Clark did the show solo (no announcer, Charlie O'Donell, until '58). 7-Up sponsored first half hour. Second 30 minutes were mostly sustained (promos and PSA's filled commercial time). Clark does mention American Airlines briefly. After the Senate Subcommittee Payola hearings in 1960, Clark bought stock in Dr. Pepper with money he made when forced to sell his music portfolio, becoming that soft drink's spokesman for nine years. Early gum sponsors were Beech Nut, later Adams.