Free Slurpee day this July
National Free Slurpee Day is on July 11 and we can’t wait to get our sugar fix while beating the heat, for free. 7-Eleven has been celebrating this tasty frozen treat since 2002, even though the beloved frozen treat has been around since the late 1950s. With over 300 flavors to choose from, there is a Slurpee for every palette. Some of the most popular of these flavors include 7-Eleomn, Sour Apple, Cherry, and of course the classic Coca-Cola.
History Of The Slurpee
At the beginning of the time of the slushee’s first appearance, Omar Knedlik takes the trophy. Who in the 1950s, used parts from an automobile air conditioner to build a rudimentary frozen beverage machine. According to a 2010 Mental Floss article, the original idea was conceived after Knedlik. Who operated a Dairy Queen franchise in Kansas City, stashed some soda pop in the freezer when the soda fountain in his restaurant went kaput. He worked with an artist to develop a brand for his new slushy drinks. Introducing the world to the ICEE, a gas-station staple in its own right. But it was from that same frozen drink machine that the Slurpee was born. 7-Eleven licensed the ICEE machine technology from Knedlik in 1965.
Coined by advertising executive Bob Stanford, the “Slurpee” name is derived from the “slurp” sound that the drink makes when it is sucked through a straw. The Slurpee made its official debut in 1966. In two flavors, Coca-Cola and cherry — and was an instant success. (Unfortunately for Knedlik, he didn’t exactly possess the same kind of marketing genius that 7-Eleven had in its advertising agencies and marketing executives. Originally, Knedlik wanted to call his version of the beverage “Scoldasice,” but he eventually went with the word “ICEE.” After selling his machines to 7-Eleven, Knedlik received royalties from the chain for 17 years until his patents for the original ICEE machine expired.
Slurpee’s Today
Today, in the store, 7-Eleven employees don’t have to do much to actually make the Slurpees that fill your cups. In the beginning, store employees would have to pour the Slurpee mix into the top of the machine every morning. Now, they simply attach the five-gallon “bag in a box” of Slurpee to the machine in the store’s backroom and allow it to do the rest of the work. “It was always really important for us to ensure consistency,” says Smith. “We know what’s in the formula, we know what the machines are supposed to do.”
Cherry Or Coca-Cola?
The development of Slurpee flavors involves combining multiple flavor compounds to achieve the perfect “cherry” or “Coca-Cola” taste. Many Slurpee flavors, like Dr. Pepper, are highly complex, closely-guarded company secrets. At present, there are dozens of flavors that rotate through Slurpee machines across the globe every month. Every year on National Free Slurpee Day the 7-Eleven franchise hands out free Slurpees to everyone!
Since it is only while stocks last, people rush to their nearest 7-Eleven to take advantage of this annual freebie. Customers are only allowed one free Slurpee per location, so you can drive around to different 7-Eleven stores to get more than one if you have the time and enough gas in your tank. There are also bonus deals on snacks to go with your Slurpee. If you download the 7Rewards app and you scan your free Slurpee, you’ll get a coupon for another Slurpee of any size that can be redeemed within 30 days!
Park Ave Magazine
Discover more Orlando Advertising opportunities with Park Ave Magazine. We extend so many thanks to all who put time and effort to bring Park Ave Magazine to life. Be sure to stay up to date with our latest issues. Full of exciting articles, art, photography, and trivia, this magazine is all about the city of Winter Park & Surrounding Cities. With plenty more releases to come, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop with our team.
