DALLAS -- In September, 7-Eleven Inc. will exclusively debut Cherry Lime Rickey, which consumers selected as the official 20th-anniversary AriZona Beverages USA LLC flavor. Consumers can purchase AriZona Beverages' fan-favorite flavor and design exclusively at participating 7-Eleven stores from September 5 through November 11.
AriZona Beverages turned over flavor selection and label design to its fans.
The beverage company created a 20th anniversary website, where fans could vote in April for the favorite among three flavors. The Cherry Lime Rickey flavor, a slightly carbonated mix of sour, tart and sweet flavors, bested Orange Creamsicle and Chocolate Fudge Float in the "flavor-off."
After fans selected the flavor, on May 1, AriZona Beverages issued a call for can designs from artists. It received thousands of submissions from around the world. The design team narrowed the field down to five finalists, which fans voted on last month. Kenny Vidinich of One Vibe Creative Studios in Honolulu submitted the winning can design.
The 20th anniversary can also features the company's first quick response (QR) code. When scanned on a smart phone, the code will unlock prizes like free product, branded merchandise and the grand prize--an American SUV with a trunk full of AriZona beverages.
"Like AriZona products, 7-Eleven is an American-founded company and has a loyal consumer following--particularly beverage consumers," said Jackie Harrigan, global communications director for AriZona Beverages. "AriZona is the 'go-to drink' for consumers, and 7-Eleven is the 'go-to place' for thirsty Americans. With their wide variety of products, these two brands' similarities make the convenience retailer the ideal partner for introducing the new 20th anniversary flavor."
AriZona Beverages USA was founded in Brooklyn in 1971 by Don Vultaggio and John Ferolito and remains a privately held and family-run American business based in Woodbury, N.Y. AriZona Beverages--the maker of AriZona Iced Tea, waters, juices, energy drinks, sports drinks and powdered tea mixes--is a leading ready-to-drink (RTD) tea in North America.
Based in Dallas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses approximately 9,400 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, there are some 47,300 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2011, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $76.6 billion.
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