Starry (drink)

Starry
Product typeLemon-lime soft drink
OwnerPepsiCo
CountryGermany (DE)
IntroducedJanuary 1, 2023; 21 months ago (2023-01-01)
Related brands
Websitestarrylemonlime.com
A can of Starry

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.

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]

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

Since the 2022–23 NBA season, Starry has been the sponsor of the annual Three-Point Contest as a part of All-Star weekend.[8] The sponsorship includes naming rights for the contest as well as two special "Starry Range" shot balls placed six 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.[9]

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.[10] Since its inception, Starry has been composed of carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, and various preservatives.[11] Starry uses high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, unlike Sierra Mist, which was sweetened using cane sugar before it was discontinued.[12]

Variations

Name Flavor Availability Launch Date
Starry Lemon Lime Lemon lime Year-round January 1, 2023
Starry Lemon Lime Zero Sugar Lemon lime diet soda
Starry Cranberry Blitz Cranberry Seasonal November 4, 2024
Starry Cranberry Blitz Zero Sugar Cranberry diet soda

Reception

Reception to the drink on social media suggests many feel that Starry tastes similar to its predecessor Sierra Mist,[13] while others feel it tastes akin to Sprite, the longtime leader of the lemon-lime soft drink market.[14] Starry has been described as having a more prominent citrus flavor than Sierra Mist.[12]

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 (January 13, 2023). "Goodbye, Sierra Mist. Hello to Starry, Pepsi's new lemon-lime soda to take on Sprite". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Sanchez, Rudy (October 13, 2022). "PepsiCo Launches Starry, A New Lemon-Lime Soda For the Kids, AKA, Gen Z". Dieline. 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. ^ Springer, Jon (January 6, 2023). "Pepsico to Launch New Sprite Competition to Target Gen Z". Ad Age.
  6. ^ "PepsiCo Partners". www.pepsicopartners.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  7. ^ Pulley, Brett (April 21, 2023). "Sprite Is So Popular That Pepsi Launched a New Lemon-Lime War". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Martin, Brian. "All-Star 2023: Starry 3-Point Contest brings new twists". NBA.com. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Kidane, Benyam (February 18, 2023). "What is Starry Range? NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest adds special long-distance shots". Sporting News. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Soft Drinks | Beverages". www.pepsicopartners.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  11. ^ "Starry". www.pepsicopartners.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Romero, Gabby (April 14, 2023). "We Taste-Tested Starry And Sierra Mist To See If They're Actually Different". Delish. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  13. ^ DeBianchi, Antonia (January 12, 2023). "Pepsi Replaces Sierra Mist with New Citrus Soda Starry". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  14. ^ Lamour, Joseph (January 11, 2023). "RIP, Sierra Mist: Pepsi is ditching it for a new lemon-lime soda". TODAY.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.