7UP to sponsor Williams F1 team

PepsiCo’s 7UP brand is to return to Formula One after 11 years with a tie-up with the BMW-Williams team.

Under the terms of the deal, which starts next year, 7UP will be the official soft drink partner to the Williams team.

The soft drink has previously been a sponsor of the Jordan team, but pulled the plug on the deal in 1990.

PepsiCo plans advertising and promotional activity focused on the team, with cross-branding opportunities. However, branding will not appear on the cars or team racing gear, which remain in BMW’s corporate colours of blue and white.

PepsiCo will not comment on the value of the three-year deal and says it is still devising its promotional strategy.

PepsiCo joins Compaq, Reuters, Accenture, Castrol, Petrobrass, Michelin, Alliance and German beer Velfins as Williams sponsors. In addition to the Jordan deal, 7UP was involved with the sport as a regional sponsor of F1 at the end of the Eighties. No other PepsiCo brand is currently tied up with F1.

F1 teams have been anxious about finding sponsorship after the terrorist attacks of September 11. The first F1 race of 2002 takes place in Melbourne, Australia, in March.