Teem

Teem is a lemon-lime-flavored carbonated soft drink originally developed and produced by the Pepsi-Cola Company as a direct competitor to 7 Up and Sprite.^[1] Introduced in 1960 following four years of research and two years of nationwide taste-testing, Teem was marketed for its "crystal clear" and "perfectly light" taste, packaged in distinctive emerald green bottles and featuring vibrant green and yellow branding with the slogan "For fun and flavor."^[2][1] The beverage quickly gained popularity in the United States, where lemon-lime sodas accounted for about 12% of the total soft drink market, and it was promoted through creative advertising, including a 1963 television commercial featuring the animated character Gerald McBoing-Boing.^[2] Internationally, Teem expanded to markets in Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa, with the brand remaining available as of 2025 in select countries including Brazil and Uruguay (primarily as lemon-lime), though reformulated as a cola in some Asian and African regions. By the 1980s, however, Teem's sales began to decline amid shifting consumer preferences and increased competition, leading PepsiCo to phase it out in the United States and Canada in 1984.^[3] It was succeeded by Slice, a fruit-flavored line that included a lemon-lime variant, and later by Sierra Mist in 1999, which itself was replaced by Starry in 2023.^[1] In recent years, the Teem brand has been revived around 2022 in the U.S. by independent bottler Orca Beverage, offering a version inspired by the original formula for nostalgic consumers.^[4][5]

History

Development and Launch

In the late 1950s, Pepsi-Cola Company sought to expand its portfolio beyond cola by entering the burgeoning lemon-lime soft drink category, aiming to provide its bottlers with a complementary product that could capture market share from established competitors like 7 Up and respond to Coca-Cola's recent launches of flavored beverages. Development of Teem began around 1955, involving four years of intensive laboratory research and consumer testing to create a clear, effervescent lemon-lime formula designed for broad appeal.^[6][7] Teem was first introduced in test markets on April 10, 1959, with the inaugural public launch in St. Joseph, Missouri, where free samples were distributed to gauge consumer response. Anonymous test marketing had already occurred in 20 cities prior to this, confirming the beverage's potential based on taste preferences and sales projections. By the end of 1959, Teem was available in 23 franchised territories across the United States, marking an initial phase of controlled expansion rather than a nationwide debut. The full national rollout followed in 1960, enabling broader availability through Pepsi-Cola's established distribution network.^[7][6][1] Positioned as a refreshing alternative emphasizing clarity, sparkle, and flavor intensity, Teem's name was selected to convey both the "teeming" fizz of carbonation and the abundance of lemon-lime taste, differentiating it in a market dominated by single-note competitors. Production was handled exclusively by Pepsi-Cola's franchised bottlers, who integrated Teem into their operations alongside Pepsi, utilizing similar manufacturing processes for efficiency. Initial packaging featured 7-ounce emerald-green glass bottles with the iconic Pepsi swirl design for brand synergy, with plans to introduce 10-, 12-, and 26-ounce sizes as distribution scaled; local advertising supported early market entry without an immediate national campaign.^[6][7]

Market Performance and Discontinuation

Teem achieved notable popularity in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, with Pepsi bottlers reporting strong initial sales and positive consumer feedback following its 1959 introduction as a lemon-lime alternative to 7 Up.^[1] However, the brand struggled to maintain momentum amid intensifying competition, particularly from Coca-Cola's Sprite, which launched in 1961 and quickly gained traction through aggressive marketing and broad distribution.^[1] This rivalry, combined with the dominance of 7 Up in the lemon-lime category, contributed to Teem's gradual loss of market position over the ensuing decades.^[1][8] By the early 1980s, Teem's sales had declined sharply, reflecting its inability to capture significant share against these established rivals.^[1] PepsiCo officially discontinued the brand in the U.S. and Canada in 1984 after more than two decades on the market. In a strategic pivot, the company shifted resources to Lemon-Lime Slice, introduced that same year as a juice-infused variant aimed at revitalizing PepsiCo's presence in the citrus soda segment.^[1] This move marked the end of Teem's domestic run, as PepsiCo consolidated its portfolio amid evolving industry dynamics.^[1]

International Presence

Following its discontinuation in the United States in 1984, Teem maintained production and distribution in select international markets, primarily in South America. The brand has been available in Brazil since the 1960s, with ongoing manufacturing by local PepsiCo affiliates, including AmBev. As of 2025, it is widely sold in the country in formats such as 2-liter PET bottles and 350 ml cans through major retailers like Mercado Livre and Viezzer Supermercados.^[9][10] In Uruguay, Teem has similarly persisted since the 1960s under PepsiCo's regional operations and remains accessible in 2.5-liter bottles via supermarkets including Disco and El Dorado.^[11][12] The brand experienced expansions into Asian markets, including the Philippines and India, during the 1970s, alongside limited introductions in parts of Africa and additional South American countries. These efforts involved minor formula adaptations to align with local tastes, such as adjusted sweetness profiles in certain regions to better appeal to consumers. However, Teem's footprint in these areas contracted over time, with no significant ongoing production reported outside its core South American strongholds as of 2025. Currently, Teem is not revived in the U.S. market but sees occasional imports and recreations by independent bottlers, such as Orca Beverage's lemon-lime variant available in cans. In 2024, PepsiCo reintroduced the Teem brand in Pakistan as a response to local market conditions, including consumer boycotts of major global brands; this version, marketed as a cola, has sparked some public confusion over its origins despite being produced by PepsiCo's Pakistani operations.^[4][13]

Product Characteristics

Flavor and Formulation

Teem was a lemon-lime flavored carbonated soft drink characterized by a crisp and effervescent taste, featuring a balanced tartness from citric acid and bright citrus notes from natural flavors.^[14][15] The original U.S. formula, introduced in 1960, relied on a base of carbonated water sweetened primarily with cane sugar, along with citric acid for acidity, natural and artificial lemon-lime flavors, and sodium benzoate as a preservative; it was notably caffeine-free throughout its run.^[16][17] International variants often used cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup to align with local preferences and regulations.^[17] The formulation remained largely consistent from launch until discontinuation in 1984, with only minor tweaks.^[2]

Packaging and Branding

Teem was initially packaged in 12-ounce emerald green glass bottles featuring a green label with the brand name "Teem" in bold white script, introduced in 1960 to evoke a sense of sparkling refreshment.^[2][18] The packaging evolved with a shift to plastic bottles during the 1970s, aligning with industry advancements in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for carbonated beverages, while label designs saw updates in the 1980s incorporating brighter lime imagery for a more vibrant appeal.^[19][20] Internationally, variations included metallic cans, such as 350 mL aluminum versions produced in Brazil during the late 1990s.^[21] Branding elements remained consistent throughout its U.S. run, emphasizing a lemon-lime theme with green and yellow color schemes and droplet motifs symbolizing effervescence, without major rebrands prior to its 1984 discontinuation in the American market.^[2][1] Available formats focused on 10- to 12-ounce individual bottles and 2-liter sizes, with rare multipacks like six-packs appearing in later years to cater to family consumption.^[4][22]

Marketing and Cultural Impact

Advertising Campaigns

Teem's advertising campaigns in the 1960s emphasized its launch as a refreshing lemon-lime alternative, with a heavy focus on television to build national awareness. The initial promotional efforts, starting in 1959 ahead of the official 1960 rollout, highlighted the soda's crystal-clear appearance and light, tingling flavor through print ads and promotional samples distributed at supermarkets.^[23] A key slogan from the launch period was "For fun and flavor," positioning Teem as an enjoyable family beverage ideal for everyday refreshment.^[2] Television ads in the early 1960s featured whimsical characters to appeal to families, such as the animated Gerald McBoing-Boing as a spokesman, who promoted Teem's playful lemon-lime combination in 1963 spots aired in newspapers and on TV.^[2] Jingles like "Go Teem" reinforced the theme of lemon and lime "teamed up just right," underscoring the balanced taste in short, catchy broadcasts that targeted broad audiences including children and parents.^[24] These efforts relied on vibrant green-and-yellow branding in print media and radio spots, which began shifting toward youth-oriented messaging by the mid-1960s to compete with emerging rivals like Sprite.^[25] By the 1970s, Teem's media strategy scaled back its intensive TV presence amid intensifying competition from Coca-Cola's Sprite, which captured greater market share through aggressive advertising.^[2] Campaigns adopted themes of clarity and lightness, with slogans evoking "crystal clear" refreshment in radio and print ads aimed at younger consumers seeking crisp, non-cola options.^[2] Promotional tie-ins with PepsiCo events, such as sports sponsorships, helped maintain visibility without the lavish budgets of the prior decade, focusing on cost-effective regional outreach. Internationally, Teem's campaigns adapted to local markets, particularly in Brazil where production continued into the 1980s and beyond. Localized TV ads emphasized tropical refreshment to resonate with the country's hot climate, using slogans like "Provoque a Sede" (Provoke the Thirst) to dramatize extreme thirst scenarios—such as sweaty adventurers—before delivering Teem as the ultimate quencher.^[26] These 1980s spots, often featuring dynamic visuals of beach and outdoor settings, tailored the global lemon-lime appeal to Brazilian consumers by highlighting its cooling, effervescent qualities in humid environments.^[27]

Legacy and Nostalgia

Teem has left a lasting imprint in American pop culture, particularly through its appearances in 1970s and 1980s media, where it featured prominently in television commercials that captured the era's vibrant advertising style. For instance, a 1980s Spanish-language TV ad showcased the soda's effervescent appeal, while U.S. promotions from the 1960s onward, including a 1963 print ad with the animated character Gerald McBoing-Boing as a spokesperson, embedded Teem in nostalgic memories of mid-century marketing.^[2][28] These references extended to everyday consumer life, evoking images of family gatherings and summer refreshment in period media. Among collectors, vintage Teem bottles—often emerald-green glass with diamond patterns—command interest on platforms like eBay and Etsy, where enthusiasts seek out 10-oz. and 12-oz. examples from the 1960s to 1980s for their retro branding and scarcity following the U.S. discontinuation.^[29][30] Revival efforts in the 2020s have been driven by independent bottlers and online communities, reflecting sustained fan dedication. Orca Beverage, a Washington-based company specializing in retro sodas, reintroduced Teem Lime in glass bottles, recreating the original lemon-lime formula with a tart, refreshing profile that has been praised by longtime fans for its authenticity.^[4] This recreation, available through specialty retailers like Summit City Soda, marks a grassroots nod to Teem's heritage without PepsiCo involvement. Since the 2010s, social media nostalgia groups on platforms like Facebook have fostered discussions and shared memories, with communities such as "Do You Remember The 70s Fan Club" posting vintage ads and personal anecdotes, amassing hundreds of interactions around Teem's "sparkly" fizz reminiscent of champagne.^[31] While formal petitions have not gained widespread traction, these digital forums have amplified calls for broader revivals, highlighting Teem's status as a cult favorite. Teem's discontinuation in the U.S. paved the way for PepsiCo's subsequent lemon-lime offerings, influencing the evolution of the category despite its own commercial shortcomings. As PepsiCo's inaugural foray into clear lemon-lime sodas in 1960, Teem set a precedent for later brands like Slice in 1984, Storm in 1998, Sierra Mist from 1999 to 2023, and the current Starry launched in 2023, each attempting to challenge Coca-Cola's Sprite with varying degrees of success.^[32][2] PepsiCo's persistent iterations reflect lessons from Teem's market positioning, emphasizing bold flavors and youthful branding to capture the non-cola segment. In modern perceptions as of 2025, Teem is revered as a "forgotten classic" within soda enthusiast circles, where online reviews and retro blogs laud its crisp taste as superior to some successors.^[23] Availability in the U.S. remains limited to these independent recreations and occasional imports of the authentic Brazilian version, which continues production under PepsiCo licensing and can be sourced through international retailers for nostalgic consumers.^[33] This scarcity only heightens its allure, positioning Teem as a symbol of bygone soda innovation in collector and hobbyist communities.