What's So Hillbilly About Mountain Dew?
A little trip down memory lane
By Denise Rivette
This century’s Mountain Dew marketing and labels bear little reference to their origins. Mountain dew was originally slang for moonshine (illegally produced whiskey most often associated with the Ozark and Appalachian regions). That association was embraced by early advertisements and labeling for the soda which featured the brand’s mascot, Willy the Hillbilly. After Pepsi-Cola Company (now PepsiCo) purchased the brand in 1964, they kept Willy the Hillbilly but reframed him as a sportsman and moved away from the moonshine connection.
In the 1970s the logo and marketing shifted to a newer, hipper vibe.
The current stylized lightning bolt may or may not be a subtle reference to its origins, as white lightning is also a term for moonshine.
