The Slurpee is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and 7-Eleven is marking the milestone the usual way. On Saturday, July 11, Slurpee Day, you can walk into a participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, or Stripes and get a free small one.
The date pulls double duty, as it is also 7-Eleven’s 99th birthday.
The convenience store chain is also rolling out a new flavor to celebrate. The Mountain Dew Confetti Chill is the latest addition to more than 300 Slurpee flavors introduced over the past six decades. Think birthday cake with a citrus edge, plus notes of vanilla icing. The limited-time taste will be served in commemorative 60th anniversary cups, and you can top it off with pink, green, and blue sugar crystals.
Love, reality TV, and bedazzled straws
The main highlight this year is the “Slurpee Date.” At select 7-Eleven and Speedway stores on Slurpee Day, couples and friends and first-date hopefuls can sit on an outdoor photo-op bench, get their picture taken, and leave with a keepsake. Bedazzled Slurpee “S” double straws are also on offer as a sparkling nod to the diamond anniversary.
Reality TV personality JaNa Craig is fronting the promotion: “I immediately loved this idea because it turns something that so many people already know and love – grabbing a Slurpee – into a cute, playful summer date,” she said. “There’s something nostalgic about hanging out with friends over a Slurpee drink, so bringing that same easygoing energy to a first date felt like the perfect fit,” she added.
7-Eleven, predictably, leaned into the same sentimental appeal: “Very few brands become part of people’s childhoods, everyday routines and memories across generations like Slurpee has over the last 60 years,” said Brandon Brown, senior vice president of fresh foods and beverages at 7-Eleven.
“As we celebrate this milestone Slurpee Day and create new ways for fans to connect, we want to recognize the customers who have turned a simple icy drink into a beloved cultural icon,” he concluded.
The free Slurpee is a July 11 thing only, while supplies last. The Confetti Chill flavor, however, will hang around through August 29.
Sources: 7-Eleven, PR Newswire