Seven Up Candy Bar (History, Marketing, Pictures)
Of all of the candies that are out there, the Seven Up Candy Bar has to be one of the most unique. This candy bar was not on the market for long, but it did make an impression on those who loved it. While it might seem like this candy bar has something to do with the drink, it was actually not related and was named this way due to its design.
There are many reasons why the Seven Up candy bar did not make a huge and lasting impression on the candy scene, but it was not due to a lack of creativity. This was a very unique candy bar that offers seven chambers of flavored fillings. This was not a common design for a candy bar at the time and is still not a method of crafting candy that is done by most manufacturers.
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Let’s take a closer look at the Seven Up candy bar and its history.
History
The Seven Up candy bar was a 1930s candy made by the Pearson Candy company. It was a chocolate bar that was made with seven unique chambers of different fillings. These chambers were filled with different flavored fillings over the years, but the mainstay of the candy bar’s flavorings was usually coconut, butterscotch caramel, buttercream, fudge, Brazil nut, cherry cream, and orange jelly.
The candy bar was discontinued ultimately in 1979, but the Seven Up candy bar still has a very devoted base of fans. This bar was so popular because eating it was always a little bit of a mystery. You might get an older version of the bar that offered different flavors than the current one when new flavors were rolled out. The order that you ate it in might also change the way that the bar tasted overall. This was a really unique candy design that had never been tried before and has not really been tried since.
There have been copy-cats that have been made since, and the Necco Sky Bar is a similar style of candy bar. The Seven Up candy bar offers only four chambers of filling though with flavors fudge, caramel, vanilla, and peanut. This is a poor substitute in the minds of ardent fans, for what was a really unique and fun candy experience in the early days of the Pearson candy company.
The design of this candy bar was really unique in another way, and that was the crafting of the chambers of flavoring. The Pearson Company referred to these unique flavor layers as “pillows”. These were essentially little squares of filling that were put all in a row. This means that you were basically getting the experience of eating candies from a box of chocolates, but were enjoying them enclosed in a candy bar instead.
This was the gimmick of the original Seven Up candy bar, which was to provide this same taste experience without the inconvenience of the box of candies. Even the mystery of the flavors that were included was meant to mimic the mystery that is inherent in consuming chocolates from a box of candies.
The ultimate downfall of this candy bar had nothing to do with taste, enjoyment, or popularity. The Seven Up candy bar had to be retired due to conflict with 7Up soda and trademarking concerns between the two companies that could not be resolved. There were also issues with high manufacturing costs that continued to escalate over time. Without these issues, there might have still been a similar version of this candy bar on the market that maintained the unique pillowed chambers of special flavoring.
Variations of Flavoring
As stated before, there were many different flavor options that this candy bar came with during its time being sold. The mainstay of the candy bar’s taste profile was always the chocolate exterior, but the interior pillows of flavor were changed out over time. Over the course of the life of the candy bar, you might find that your Seven Up Bar contained pillows with these flavors:
- Brazil nut
- Buttercream
- Butterscotch
- Caramel
- Cherry
- Coconut
- Caramel
- Cherry
- Coconut
- Fudge
- Mint
- Nougat
- Orange
The Seven Up candy bar were arranged with different combinations of these flavorings, which made for a very unique flavor profile that is not common to any other candy bar style. During transition periods from old flavors to new, you might be able to pick up different candy bars from the same shelf and have different included flavors. Some of the changes were made due to sourcing issues for flavor profiles that had been included for some time, and in other cases, the popularity of new flavors caused a change to be made to the recipe.
Some people also report that they remember versions of the candy bar that included maple and white cream. There was also a dark chocolate recipe that was made briefly before the candy bar had to be pulled from shelves due to the conflict with the 7-Up drink.
Marketing Materials
This candy actually had many different wrappers over the years. There were brown and rather staid wrappers with lighter colored writing for some time, and then a much more inviting white wrapper with an image of the candy bar and details about the included flavors. The lettering on these white wrappers was red in color and quite eye-catching.
The pillowed design was mentioned frequently and you should have been immediately aware from the marketing information that you were getting a really unique candy bar for the money. The design was half of the attraction and the candy bar was marketed with this in mind, quite successfully. This was the right candy bar for those who love candies with soft fillings, and the company made sure to make this clear as well.
This candy bar overall seems to have sold itself without much in the way of promotion. Sometimes these kinds of candy bars just became an urban legend right away and people were eager to look for them to try out without having to see ads for the candy.
Is the Sky Bar the same thing as a Seven Up Bar?
The reviews of the Sky Bar will tell you that those who loved the Seven Up Candy Bar feel that this is a poor substitute for the original. While it is made in a reminiscent style, it is not the same set of flavors and many people point to the interior texture of the pillows being different as well. Part of the problem with direct comparisons here, is that candy making has changed greatly in the last 50 years, and the original processes that made some of these classic candy bars have been changed due to cost management, resources and sourcing, and also health considerations related to ingredients.
There are many reasons why this new candy bar will never mimic the original that well, and those who love the Seven Up Candy Bar should also be aware that the way it was once made would likely not be possible any longer for a whole host of reasons. These kinds of classic candy bars are probably never coming back, and even if they did, they would disappoint real fans. There are some parts of candy making that just haven’t made the switch into modern manufacturing processes and this candy bar is probably on the list of items that cannot be made ever again.
Logo
Ingredients
This is a really interesting candy item since the flavorings changed so often, and therefore, so did the included ingredients. Add to this, that the candy has not been made for some time, and it becomes hard to get a really good idea of what exactly was in each Seven Up Bar.
All of the bars contained:
- Chocolate
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Citric acid
- Artificial flavors
- Food colorings and food dyes.
The interior flavorings varied over time and as the ingredients were changed due to sourcing issues and popularity. The fillings always seemed to include starch, gelatin and some other ingredients to make the soft, but chewy fillings consistent in their texture.
Can you buy Seven Up Bars anywhere today?
Sadly, it has been long enough since the Seven Up candy bar was on the market that there are not any for sale any longer. You might one day see an old, and stale candy bar on eBay or some other collectible sight, but you will not enjoy eating something like this and actually should probably not eat the candy bar due to its age.
You will have to content yourself with buying old advertising information for the Seven Up candy bar or daydreaming about whether or not someone will start making it again. It is not likely to exist ever again in the same format as the old bar due to the conflict with the soda company name and due also to the expense of creating a candy bar in this way.
Adverts
Oldest wrapper style and revised wrapper
The less common black wrappers
My name is Brianna and I love writing on all topics. Candy history fascinates me and I am passionate about sharing my love of this topic with everyone else!
Please leave a review or any memories of this snack in the comments below. Thank you!
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Loved the orange jelly and brazille nut,one of the best candy bars I have ever gobbled up!!!
I completely agree!
It was like a box of assorted candies in one bar! Oh, so good 👍
That was my favorite candy bar. I remember the last section was a whole almond. I don’t remember the mint. I liked those big square Chunky bars too.
Please bring them back
My Daddy would bring me one sometimes when he came home from work. The last ones I had were a gift from him for Christmas, a whole box! I was an adult and a Mom by then but loved he realized how much the ones he had given me over the years were a happy memory.
my dad used to bring me one home from work too! Out of the vending machine there! He worked at Douglas Aircraft in Torrance CA 1950s thru 60s
What a coincidence. My dad also brought these home from work at Douglas in Torrance and before that from the El Segundo plant. A fond memory.
My grandmother was a foreman at Douglas for many years. Frankie Rose was her name. She would get free tickets for us to go to Disneyland. Best candy bar ever ❤️!!
I remember buying Seven Up once and never bought it again
I loved the 7 up bar and miss it my favorite candy bar ,ever!
I don’t remember Seven Up bars as being “milk” chocolate. Dark chocolate is what I remember, along with the great fillings. I starting buying them while in elementary school and probably still was able to find them locally until the mid ’60s. I always enjoyed finding that I had bought a bar with a Brazil nut in one of the “pockets”.
THATS THE WAY I REMEMBER THEM AS A 3IN X 2IN DK CHOCOLETE BAR IN THE LATE 50’S AT CARRY’S GROCERY STORE IN STERLING IL..
Best candy bar ever — When I was in my 20’s I worked in a grocery store — I had the candy sales person bring some into the store and stock them — he could not keep up with the demand — i loved the things — would sure like to have one now — I am almost 84 yrs old —
Sandra Wesson
I remember these from the 1960’s when I was a little girl. I was beginning to think it was just my imagination until I found this article! No one I know remembers it. So glad I found this. I remember the bar having maybe on jelly filled compartment. Am I correct?
Yep, I remember the jelly section too, it was unique. Article says it was orange. I didn’t remember the flavor but orange goes well with chocolate so of course it was.
Hello Sandra, I remember the Seven Up Candy Bars from the 1960s as well. But like you, I often questioned my memory 🙂
Why that candy bar is on my mind tonight is a mystery…BUT…thanks to this interesting article, I’m now secure in knowing that Seven Up Candy Bars were NOT a figment of my very few happy childhood memories.
One of my strongest memories from my childhood…9 or 10 years old…is buying a cherry ICEE & a “Dark Chocolate” Seven Up bar. The combination of those 2 created a…!!SURPRISING!!…flavor orgasm in my mouth.
This memory is cemented so permanently in my mind that during my adult life, EVERY TIME I eat dark chocolate, I CRAVE a cherry ICEE & EVERY TIME I enjoy a cherry ICEE, I CRAVE dark chocolate :-))
Best regards,
Ben
My mom mentions this all the time. She was wondering if she imagining it, too. We were surprised that the candy warehouse doesn’t have them. My mom wishes they’d bring them back. Put in her vote (Roseanne Giesman).
I so agree with your MOM. I used to get these for “being good”; THE BEST CANDY BAR; wish some company could retool to produce these again; like Mars.
wish 7 up would WAKE UP; they destroyed THE BEST Candy bar on Earth.
Sandra Wesson: I remember the jelly pocket – it was my favorite! Was it cherry?
The jelly pocket was orange, but there was a cherry cream one, too.
It was like buying a box Whitman’s of Chocolate Candies in one candy bar. In the seven segments: one row had a square of chocolate nougat covered in milk chocolate, then a whole Brazil nut encased in milk chocolate, then a square of coconut cream coated in milk chocolate, in the next row was a square of orange jelly coated in milk chocolate, a sqaure of butter cream covered in milk chocolate, a square of cherry cream covered in milk cholate, then a square of caramel covered in milk chocolate. Each segment could be bitten off separately, giving the sense of eating a piece of candy from a box of cholates.
Seven Up was one of my favorite candy bars ever! I can’t believe it’s been off the market since 1979. Perhaps with the growing trend toward nostalgia, this bar will return with a different name (Sweet 7? Lucky 7? Choco7?)
I remember Seven Up as being worth, not getting a carton of milk while in elementary school (3rd grade), so I could visit the corner store across the street from the school (1955 in Gardena Ca). While walking home 3 blocks, I would break one section off at a time, savoring the magic in each section. My favorite was the orange jelly section and sometimes it was replaced with some other flavor, bummer! I was asked just today “What was your favorite candy bar growing up?”, without hesitation I replied, “Seven Up!” Nobody heard of it! I guess, I hang around with too many 50-year-old kids now that don’t appreciate contemporary candy history. LOL
I grew up in Torrance CA! My dad worked at Douglas at 190 and Normandie . He’d bring me one home from work(vending machine)
I remember all the different flavors as someone already committed it was like a small box of chocolates. My favorite was the orange jelly.
I always saved the orange jelly for last since it was favorite. People don’t remember this candy, but I loved it.
I remember buying 7 UP bars at Schulte’s Super Valu in Ellsworth, WI in the 60s. 5 cents each or 6/quarter. Mix and match on the candy bars. Big Time, Polar Bar, Chunky, and more that I can’t remember the names of. 7 UP was my favorite.
I was trying to explain this 7up candy bar to my husband. He’d never heard of it. I am a native Washingtonian, he a native coastal Texan. I also loved Klondike Bar, Mountain Bar and Butterfinger. I wonder if it’s a regional thing? Anyway…YUM…nothing like the old originals from the 50s.
It seems that all the comments sound so true of my story. Like J. Brown I rode my bike or walked to a 7/11 convenient store (totally new idea at my age “open on Sunday”) to buy a 7up bar. No other bar was so pleasurable to eat like the 7 flavors in one. I wasn’t a fan of the jelly or the coconut so they went first saving the best for last Brazil but. Wow!!
This was THE BEST CANDY BAR. It is sad that you can no longer get this; I wish a company would start it up again; was THE best; along with grape ball bubble gum!!!!!!!!!!!
Along with others, I too don’t know anyone else who remembers the 7 up candy bar. I loved it, a mini box of chocolates in a bar! Bought them at the neighborhood mom & pop store a street over from my house. Didn’t like coconut, always gave that to Mama or Daddy. Now I finally know what happened to it. Shame on the 7 up soda company! 7 up candy bar evokes good memories of a great childhood for me. I am a proud baby boomer! Now, who remembers Double Cola soda?
I was in an after-school club in 5th grade (1967) and we got a tour of the Pearson Candy Co. factory on W. 7th St. In St. Paul, MN (it’s still in operation, making Nut-Goodies and Salted Peanut bars). I was enthralled watching the women on the assembly line placing the candies by hand as the bars moved past on the conveyor belt. Sort of like that episode from I Love Lucy! Great memories…
The 7-Up candy bar should come back with another name. The best candy bar I ever ate they need to come back!!!!!!
That would be a disservice to the family of the individual that came up with the idea for Pearsons. I know them and they have been involved in the candy industry their whole lives. Their shops are located in eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.
In high school we had to walk to the grade school for hot lunches. In between there was a lumber company that had a candy store. I would often stop in for a seven up bar. This
was in the late sixties. Best candy bar by far!
Was my favorite candy bar, too.. and everytime I would ask people about it, they hadn’t heard of it.. I was from Minnesota, my husband, South Dakota and his family had a grocery store for over 60 yrs.. he never heard of it.. I always saved the orange jelly for last, and if that wasn’t there, it was the cherry … best candy bar ever!!! I also remember when Butterfinger bars had 2 candy bars in them, and each one was the size of 1 normal one now.. lol..costed 25 cents…
I have unfortunately only found this wonderful candy bar twice in my life.
Believe it or not, it was in the eighties and again in the nineties in a liquor store in So.
Cal. I am disappointed that they are discontinued.
With the current tech. something like this should be easy to reproduce. There must be another reason why it is no longer available. It seems that everything that I like disappears, and what remains is the mediocre, whether it be food items, perfume, drinks, etc. lol “C’est la vie”.
For Halloween, approximately 1960, the house of a couple who had no kids gave out Seven-up bars (which cost a dime) while most other houses gave out various bars that cost a nickel.
Unless my poor eye sight missed it where was the seven up made ?
Mama said “life is like a box of 7 UP bars…You never know what your gonna get.”
I remember being about twelve years old and hoarding my babysitting money, I made a whole 10 cents per hour, to make sure I could buy a Seven-Up bar. I would walk downtown with my little sister (ten years old), buy a bar, and we would walk home together sharing the bar, a bite for each of us of each pillow.
I remember buying this candy in the 60’s. Loved them, until I found one with a worm in the Brazil nut. Unfortunately that was the last time I bought that candy ☹️
I remember this candy bar fondly. It was like having your own box of chocolates. Candy bars were a special treat and we didn’t aways eat this bar in one go. Sometimes we ate one flavor and rolled that wrapper back up so we would have a surprise flavor the next day.
I always loved this bar and the MILKSHAKE bar…both of which are great memories now!! A return to market for either of these would be amazing!!! 😋
I buy milkshake bars at Walmart.
SEVEN UP bars and
ZERO bars were my favorite of all time. I ate the SEVEN UP bars since their inception and oh how I miss them. I stock up on Zero bars when I find them. Thank You for your information ❣️
My two favorite candy bars too! I liked them refrigerated. Fond memories from the ’60s!
Never heard of it. I think it must be regional. I grew up in the 1960s in New England and we had Sky Bars here. They stopped making Sky Bars for a brief period when Necco went under, but another company formed to make Sky Bars.
I bought these as a kid in so cal in the 60’s. My fav of all time
My Dad would stop by Pearson on his way home from work and get a box of the imperfect bars for us kids. So lucky to have grown up in Minnesota and close to the factory. I sure wish that they would bring them back…
Lucky you!! The family of the man that came up with that idea still own candy shops, Crookston, Grand Forks, Fargo.
HOW MAY I CONTACT THEM TO SEE IF EVER HAD INCLINATION TO MAKE MORE.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE CANDY BARS EVER SUPERB TO FILL EVERYONE’S LIKES
ONLYWISH COULD BUY A BOX TO ALLOW MY GRANDKIDS TO SEE THE CREATIVITY OF A TRULY CANDY LOVER’S CREATION!!!
IF EVER MAKE AGAIN..PUT ME ON THE BUYER’S LIST! PLEASE.
Oh how I loved this candy bar! 7 up was my favorite. Each section of the candy bar was a new experience. My favorite section was the orange jelly. I would for go popcorn, at the movies, to have a 7 up bar. Sad they don’t make it anymore.
I grew up with 7 up candy, usually from the vending machine at Dyar Pontiac in Hampton, IA. I liked the orange part the best, but my next favorite section, cherry, was usually there for backup. To Sam, did your olfactory nerves and taste buds ever fully develop? Favorite candy bar presently is the dark chocolate Reeses PB cup. This was a wonderful detour down memory lane! Wonder how much spam I will get for leaving this message 😁
Seven Up was my favorite candy bar! I’ve never forgotten it. I would walk down the street to our corner market in Portland to buy them. I’ve often told people about this candy bar throughout the years and literally no one has ever heard of it. It was real! The 7up I had were milk chocolate. In the 70’s dark chocolate was rare, at least where I grew up. I’ve never really like candy bars since the 7up sadly went away. I guess I should give the Skybar a try…
I loved the Seven Up Bar. I had both the dark wrapper and the light. And, yes, the Sky Bar is a lousy impersonation of it.
The 7up candy I use to buy had different flavors than the one shown
This candy bar was also one of my favorites in the early ’60’s. My favorite “pillow” was the jell section. I am reading here that it was orange flavored, but I always remember that it was more of a grape flavor, but perhaps my flavor memory is fading. The only wrappers that I can recall buying were the darker brown colored. Wish someone could bring them back.
As for the 7-UP conflict, When I would buy a 7up candy bar, I would also buy a 7up drink to go with it. Confused as to why the two companies could not combine and make an association to promote more sales.
Hi Brianna York, your website was shown to me at a family reunion today . It is in regards to the 7Up Candy Bar at Pearson Candy Co . My name is Carol Widman Kennedy from Fargo ND . My Great Grand Father was William Widman who started out as a candy maker / baker in Dubuque , Iowa in 1885 . He eventually migrated to St Paul , Mn and was employed by Pearson Candy Co in St. Paul Mn. It was there that he invented the 7 Up Candy Bar. His reward was a box of cigars , and I am sure he thought he was overpaid . I remember the 7 Up Candy bar back in the 60’s and I remember the caramel , nouget, Brazil and jellies , that’s all I recall . Two of my siblings
and myself have candy stores . We hand make and hand dip in our candy kitchens , and sell it from our attach retail stores We are 4th generation candy makers going on 5th with a nephew at the Grand forks and Crookston , Mn store stores . To read our history you can go to my Web site Carol WIDMAN’s Candy Co in Fargo Nd . The other 2 stores . . . do not have websites However there have been multiple articles written about all 3 stores which you can access on the web. All the stores carry on the Widman legacy . My sibblings and myself have gone from other professions back into the candy business . It is a”sweet “ and rewarding business. People leave with a smile on their face At 72 I have no plans to retire. Carol Widman Kennedy, Carol WIDMAN’s Candy Co , Fargo , ND
M6 neighbor was George cardniet he invented a 7up bar along with uno bar baffled bar and the u not bar the company lasted to the late 80s I believe but he used to give some of us kids lots of candy George passed away some 15yrs ago but bless his hea4t for the candy memeroys. T.Gallegos. still eating the uno bar just got done
My favorite candy growing up in the 60’s. G&L Market in Mcminnville Oregon!
Brought back a wonderful memory of my Dad and me sharing one from a drug store in indiana Harbor,indiana. Dad explained to me all the flavors so different really unique.
My absolute favorite growing up in a tiny town in the Oregon hills. My nickels always went for 7 Up bar or for Chunky . My Christmas wish is for a 7 up bar!! Even if it costs 50 nickels!