Orlando Jones and the 7 Up Commercial: Why “Make 7 Up Yours” Became Iconic
Before Drumline, Evolution and American Gods, millions of viewers knew Orlando Jones simply as the funny 7 Up guy. Here is the story behind the campaign, the famous shirt and the slogan people still remember.
Published: July 22, 2026
Was Orlando Jones the 7 Up Commercial Guy?
Yes. Orlando Jones became the television spokesman for 7 Up during the brand’s “Make 7 Up Yours” advertising campaign, which launched in 1999.
The humorous commercials helped make Jones recognizable to viewers who had never watched him on MADtv. The most famous advertisement showed him wearing a shirt with “Make 7” printed on the front and “Up Yours” printed on the back.
Orlando Jones 7 Up Commercial Quick Facts
What Was the “Make 7 Up Yours” Campaign?
The “Make 7 Up Yours” campaign was introduced in 1999 as part of an effort to make the lemon-lime soda feel younger, funnier and less old-fashioned.
Orlando Jones appeared as an enthusiastic spokesman whose attempts to promote the drink often caused confusion, embarrassment or minor chaos. The commercials presented 7 Up as a brand that did not take itself too seriously.
The Marketing Goal
The campaign was designed to give the established soft-drink brand a playful identity that could connect with younger viewers.
Why Jones Worked
Jones brought fast comic timing, facial expressions and the ability to play a confident spokesman who did not always understand how his message sounded to everyone else.
What Did Orlando Jones’ 7 Up Shirt Say?
The shirt was built around a visual joke. The front displayed the first half of the campaign slogan, while the back displayed the second half.
Make 7
Up Yours
During the commercial, Jones walked around showing people the message. When he turned his back, they saw the words “Up Yours” without the first half of the slogan, making it appear that he was insulting them.
The shirt became nearly as memorable as the beverage itself and was reportedly sold through novelty retailers for years after the campaign.
Why Was the Slogan So Memorable?
The slogan worked because it could be understood in two different ways. As a complete phrase, it encouraged people to make 7 Up their preferred drink. When the final two words appeared by themselves, however, they sounded like a rude expression.
The joke was simple enough to understand immediately, but unusual enough that viewers remembered it long after the commercial stopped airing.
It also fit Orlando Jones’ comedic style. His character remained cheerful and confident even when the people around him misunderstood what he was trying to promote.
Other Memorable Orlando Jones 7 Up Commercials
Was the Commercial Banned?
Online nostalgia posts sometimes describe the advertisement as banned. However, dependable reporting is limited, and the campaign itself ran widely on television.
It is safer to describe the commercial as controversial, cheeky or memorable rather than state that it was officially banned without a reliable record from the network, brand or advertising agency.
How Long Was Orlando Jones the 7 Up Spokesman?
The campaign began in 1999. Advertising trade coverage reported in May 2001 that Jones’ run as the pitchman was winding down.
Later biographies and campaign collections commonly describe him as the spokesman from 1999 through 2002. The difference likely reflects the period between the campaign winding down, previously produced commercials continuing to circulate and the brand moving toward another spokesman.
Because of that overlap, the clearest wording is that Jones became the face of the campaign beginning in 1999 and remained closely associated with 7 Up into the early 2000s.
Who Replaced Orlando Jones in the 7 Up Commercials?
Comedian Godfrey later appeared as a 7 Up spokesman after the Orlando Jones campaign.
Although the brand continued using comedy, Jones remained strongly connected to the earlier “Make 7 Up Yours” slogan and the famous two-sided shirt.
Did the 7 Up Commercial Make Orlando Jones Famous?
Orlando Jones already had an established entertainment career before the commercial. He had worked as a television writer and was one of the original cast members of MADtv.
The advertising campaign gave him a different level of visibility, however. Commercials aired repeatedly and reached viewers who did not regularly watch sketch comedy.
That widespread exposure arrived as Jones was moving into a major period of his film career. He soon appeared in movies including The Replacements, Bedazzled, Double Take, Evolution, The Time Machine and Drumline.
Orlando Jones and 7 Up Timeline
Orlando Jones becomes one of the original cast members of MADtv.
The “Make 7 Up Yours” campaign launches with Jones serving as the humorous television spokesman.
The slogan shirt and other commercials become widely recognized pieces of late-1990s television advertising.
Jones’ movie career expands while he remains closely associated with the soft-drink campaign.
Advertising-industry reporting says Jones’ run as the pitchman is winding down.
The campaign ends, but the commercials and slogan continue circulating through recordings, compilations and nostalgia discussions.
Why People Still Remember the Orlando Jones 7 Up Ads
The Commercial Had a Clear Joke
Viewers did not need to know the brand’s history or understand a complicated storyline. The entire joke could be understood by seeing the front and back of one shirt.
Jones Became Part of the Brand
His delivery and expressions were so closely tied to the campaign that many viewers still refer to him as “the 7 Up guy” decades later.
Was the Shirt More Famous Than the Drink?
For some viewers, probably. The commercial successfully promoted the beverage, but the unusual shirt became the campaign’s most recognizable visual.
The item moved beyond television advertising and became a novelty product associated with late-1990s and early-2000s humor.
That helped the campaign live longer than a normal commercial. People could wear the joke, quote it and recognize it without seeing a can or bottle of soda.
Tameka’s Take
Orlando Jones was the perfect person for this campaign because he could sell the joke without acting like he knew he was in on it.
The spokesman in the commercials was confident, friendly and completely committed to the slogan. The comedy came from everyone else understanding the message differently.
The campaign also arrived at the right moment. Jones was leaving MADtv behind and moving into bigger film roles, while 7 Up needed a younger and more playful identity.
More than two decades later, people may not remember every commercial, but they remember the shirt, the slogan and Orlando Jones turning around. That is the sign of an advertising idea that truly entered pop culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Orlando Jones the 7 Up guy?
Yes. Orlando Jones was the television spokesman for the “Make 7 Up Yours” advertising campaign beginning in 1999.
What did Orlando Jones’ 7 Up shirt say?
The front said “Make 7,” while the back said “Up Yours,” creating a joke when the second half of the slogan appeared by itself.
What year was the Orlando Jones 7 Up commercial?
The “Make 7 Up Yours” campaign launched in 1999 and continued into the early 2000s.
What was the famous Orlando Jones 7 Up slogan?
The slogan was “Make 7 Up Yours.”
Was the Orlando Jones 7 Up commercial banned?
The advertisement is sometimes described that way in online nostalgia posts, but there is limited reliable evidence that it received an official widespread ban.
Who replaced Orlando Jones as the 7 Up spokesman?
Comedian Godfrey later appeared as a spokesman in the brand’s commercials.
Was Orlando Jones famous before the 7 Up commercials?
Yes. He was already a television writer and an original cast member of MADtv, but the commercials introduced him to an even wider audience.
Can you still buy the Make 7 Up Yours shirt?
Original and reproduction versions sometimes appear through resale and vintage-clothing markets, but availability changes and buyers should verify whether an item is officially licensed.
