Starry

Starry is a United States soft drink brand created and marketed by PepsiCo in the lemon-lime soda category. The brand began distribution in January 2023, replacing PepsiCo’s Sierra Mist as the company’s principal lemon-lime carbonated soft drink. Its launch represented a strategic attempt to compete more directly with Sprite, the long-established lemon-lime brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company. PepsiCo introduced Starry after Sierra Mist had struggled to build a strong position in a category that continued to be led by Sprite. The development of Starry became publicly visible in 2022. In July of that year, food blog SodaSeekers reported that PepsiCo had acquired a domain associated with a new lemon-lime beverage that was expected to succeed Sierra Mist. PepsiCo filed trademark applications for the Starry name and a related logo in August 2022. The brand then reached retail distribution in January 2023, initially as a replacement for Sierra Mist rather than as a separate addition to PepsiCo’s carbonated soft drink portfolio. Starry is positioned as a modern, youthful alternative in the lemon-lime soda segment, with launch marketing directed particularly toward Generation Z. Industry analysts cited by Bloomberg Businessweek suggested that a successful introduction could allow the brand to take approximately 5% to 10% of the category’s share from Sprite. Those estimates were projections rather than reported Starry financial results, and no reliable public sales figure is included here. The drink is caffeine-free and has been offered in Regular and Zero-Sugar variants. Its listed formulation includes carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, and preservatives. This distinguishes the initial formulation from Sierra Mist’s earlier cane-sugar sweetening approach. Starry has been sold in cans and plastic bottles in several package sizes, including 7.5- and 12-fluid-ounce cans, as well as 16-fluid-ounce, 500-milliliter, and two-liter bottles. Starry syrup has also been made available for use with SodaStream devices. A major part of the brand’s launch strategy has been sports marketing. Since 2023, Starry has served as the official soft drink of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League. The partnership also includes naming rights for the NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest, beginning with the 2022–23 NBA season. In that contest, Starry replaced Mountain Dew as sponsor, and the event’s special long-distance shot balls were rebranded from the former “DEW Zone” concept to “Starry Range” balls. Basketball figures associated with the brand have included Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine, Klay Thompson, A’ja Wilson, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Early consumer discussion has compared Starry with both Sierra Mist and Sprite. Some social-media reactions describe the new drink as similar to its predecessor, while other consumers perceive a closer resemblance to Sprite. Commentary has also characterized Starry as sweeter than Sprite and as having a more pronounced citrus profile than Sierra Mist. These observations reflect informal consumer reception rather than independently verified sensory research. Starry remains an active PepsiCo brand in the United States, with its long-term market position dependent on whether its refreshed branding, product formulation, and sports-led promotion can gain share in the competitive lemon-lime soda category.

Starry was developed by PepsiCo as a new entry in the United States lemon-lime soft drink market and as the successor to Sierra Mist. The move followed Sierra Mist’s difficulty in gaining significant share against Sprite, the category leader associated with The Coca-Cola Company. Rather than continuing to rely on the Sierra Mist name, PepsiCo created a new brand identity intended to support a more aggressive and contemporary relaunch. The brand’s existence became publicly apparent in July 2022, when SodaSeekers reported that PepsiCo had purchased a domain name associated with a forthcoming lemon-lime drink. The report indicated that the new beverage would eventually replace Sierra Mist. In August 2022, PepsiCo filed trademark applications for the Starry name and a corresponding logo, providing a formal indication that the company was preparing the brand for market introduction. Starry entered retail distribution in January 2023. Its launch ended Sierra Mist’s role as PepsiCo’s lemon-lime brand and established Starry as the company’s principal vehicle for challenging Sprite. PepsiCo’s launch communications and marketing emphasized a younger audience, particularly Generation Z. Bloomberg Businessweek reported that industry analysts believed an effective launch might transfer roughly 5% to 10% of the lemon-lime soda market from Sprite. These figures were analyst projections and do not constitute disclosed Starry sales results. The product was introduced as a caffeine-free carbonated soft drink. By April 2023, the range included Regular and Zero-Sugar varieties. The reported formulation used carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, and preservatives. The use of high-fructose corn syrup contrasted with Sierra Mist’s earlier cane-sugar sweetening. Starry was distributed in several common beverage formats, including 7.5- and 12-fluid-ounce cans, 16-fluid-ounce and 500-milliliter plastic bottles, and two-liter bottles. Its syrup was also offered for SodaStream devices. Sports sponsorship became central to the brand’s visibility. Starry was named the official soft drink of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League in 2023. The brand also assumed sponsorship and naming rights for the NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest beginning with the 2022–23 season, replacing Mountain Dew. The activation included two special “Starry Range” basketballs positioned beyond the standard three-point line. Publicly associated spokespeople and athletes included Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine, Klay Thompson, A’ja Wilson, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Consumer responses have often compared Starry with Sierra Mist and Sprite. Some people have regarded its flavor as close to Sierra Mist, while others have compared it more directly with Sprite. Informal commentary has frequently described Starry as relatively sweet and as having a stronger citrus character than Sierra Mist. These reactions are part of early public reception and should not be treated as controlled product testing. Starry is an active PepsiCo product brand focused on the United States market. Its documented role is to provide PepsiCo with a refreshed, youth-oriented competitor in the lemon-lime soda category after the discontinuation or replacement of Sierra Mist.

• 2023

  U.S. distribution begins

  [1]Starry (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Starry entered store distribution in January as PepsiCo’s replacement for Sierra Mist.

• 2023

  Regular and Zero-Sugar variants documented

  [1]Starry (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  By April 2023, Starry was available in Regular and Zero-Sugar forms.

• 2023

  NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League partnership begins

  [1]Starry (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Starry became the official soft drink of the three major U.S. basketball leagues.

• 2022

  New PepsiCo lemon-lime brand reported

  [1]Starry (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  SodaSeekers reported that PepsiCo had acquired a domain connected with a new lemon-lime beverage expected to replace Sierra Mist.

• 2022

  Starry trademarks filed

  [1]Starry (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  PepsiCo filed trademark applications for the Starry brand name and logo.

A modern, youth-oriented, caffeine-free lemon-lime soda positioned by PepsiCo as a successor to Sierra Mist and a direct competitor to Sprite.

• Regular lemon-lime soft drink · 2023

  Starry Lemon Lime Soda

  The core Starry beverage is a caffeine-free, carbonated lemon-lime soft drink. Reported ingredients include carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, and preservatives. It has been sold in cans and plastic bottles, including 7.5- and 12-fluid-ounce cans, 16-fluid-ounce and 500-milliliter bottles, and two-liter bottles.

• Zero-sugar lemon-lime soft drink · 2023

  Starry Zero Sugar

  Starry Zero Sugar is the brand’s reduced-sugar variant. It was documented as available by April 2023 and extends the product line to consumers seeking a zero-sugar version of PepsiCo’s caffeine-free lemon-lime soda.

• Home-carbonation syrup · 2023

  Starry SodaStream syrup

  Starry syrup has been made available for use with SodaStream carbonation devices, allowing consumers to prepare a Starry-style lemon-lime beverage at home.

• 2023Starry Basketball League Partnership

  United States

  Starry became the official soft drink of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League. The partnership placed the new brand in a high-visibility sports environment during its launch period and aligned it with basketball audiences.

  Source
• 2023Starry Three-Point Contest Sponsorship

  United States

  Starry assumed naming rights for the NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest, replacing Mountain Dew. The activation included two special “Starry Range” balls positioned six feet behind the ordinary three-point line.

  Source

• 2023

  Replace Sierra Mist with StarryGeneration change

  Background

  PepsiCo introduced Starry after Sierra Mist failed to establish a strong position against Sprite in the expanding lemon-lime soft drink category.

  Action taken

  The company began distributing Starry in January 2023 as its new lemon-lime soft drink brand.

  Aftermath

  Starry became PepsiCo’s principal U.S. lemon-lime soda brand and received youth-focused marketing and major basketball sponsorships.

  Source

• 2023

  Launch Regular and Zero-Sugar variantsProduct launch

  Background

  PepsiCo needed the new brand to serve both conventional soft drink consumers and consumers seeking a zero-sugar option.

  Action taken

  Starry was offered in Regular and Zero-Sugar varieties by April 2023.

  Source

1. 1Starry (drink)en.wikipedia.org