The Invention of the Slurpee
They stain tongues green, red, and blue; they send blood sugar levels on Odyssean voyages; they induce brain-freezes that crumble even the most stoic men.
Every year, 7,290,000 gallons of Slurpee are consumed worldwide -- enough to fill 12 Olympic-size pools. The beverage -- essentially frozen, flavored sugar water blasted with carbon dioxide -- comes in an unending flow of flavors and especially entices its suitors during the summer months.
But the icy treat has an intriguing history: it was discovered accidentally, became a staple of “cool kid” culture in the 60s and 70s, and has continued to thrive thanks to brilliant marketing (and occasional deliciousness).
ICEE: The Slurpee’s Predecessor
In 1958, a Dairy Queen owner in Kansas inadvertently started what would become a beverage empire.
Omar Knedlik was an unlikely inventor: he grew up poor, fought in World War II, and subsequently purchased a few ice cream shops with his military pay. He did well for a while, but when a series of poor hotel investments whittled his finances, he cashed out, moved to Kansas, and took over a Dairy Queen.
Knedlik’s franchise didn’t have a soda fountain, so he began placing shipments of bottled soda in his freezer to keep them cool. On one occasion, he left the sodas in a little too long, and had to apologetically serve them to his customers half-frozen; they were immensely popular.
When people began to show up demanding the beverages, Knedlik realized he had to find a way to scale, and formulated plans to build a machine that could help him do so. He reached out to The John E. Mitchell Company -- a Dallas-based outfit that had previously made cotton cleaning equipment, but had “pivoted” into selling aftermarket automobile air conditioners. The company developed an interest in becoming an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and agreed to help Knedlik with his vision.
Five years of trial and error ensued, resulting in a contraption that utilized an automobile air conditioning unit to replicate a slushy consistency. The machine featured a separate spout for each flavor (only two at this point), and a “tumbler” which constantly rotated the contents to keep them from becoming a frozen block.
Initially, Knedlik thought to name his product “scoldasice” but when an ad-man friend persuaded him otherwise, he hired a young local artist, Ruth E. Taylor, to do branding.
Taylor coined the “ICEE” name, and drew up a mock sketch of the iconic original logo -- four letters placed in blue and red boxes, adorned with ice (a feature that has remained unchanged today). She also conceived the idea to use a polar bear, though the goofy (but endearing) mascot used by Knedlik was eventually developed by Norsworthy-Mercer, an external ad agency.
Taylor’s designs were modified and finalized by a staff artist at Mitchell Company (the machine manufacturer), and the ICEE company formulated a business plan. For a rental fee, businesses could license a specified number of ICEE dispensers and have exclusive distribution rights in their territories.
By the mid-1960s, 300 companies had ICEE machines in operation; 7-Eleven was one of them.
How Slurpees Became Super Cool
Nurtured by 7-Eleven’s savvy marketing team, the Slurpee implanted itself as a cultural phenomenon. According to John Ryckevic, 7-Eleven’s one-time category manager for Slurpee and fountain beverages, the company targeted a young, hip market:
"Slurpee is a perennially young drink. It appeals to kids, teens and young adults and everyone else who remembers the fun of drinking a Slurpee. It is probably the most recognized 7-Eleven brand, and it has a culture and personality all its own."
In the late 60s, 7-Eleven achieved this by designing psychedelic-looking cups adorned with colorful twists and twirls. They barraged radio stations with advertisements featuring upbeat, funky music; the ads were so popular that people would call in to request them, resulting in free airplay. They became mainstream hits.
One such spot, “Dance the Slurp,” was released as a 45 RPM promotional disc and given out for free in 7-Eleven locations. It was incredibly well-received, and attracted a cult following; today, rare copies of the disc sell for upwards of $50 a copy on eBay, and the song has even been remixed by the likes of Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow.
The Slurpee’s flavors also stirred up attention, with risqué names like “Fulla Bulla,” “Kiss Me, You Fool,” and “For Adults Only.”