Downtown Vicksburg's Vibrant New Mural

For many years the Sprite Boy on the side of the building located at 1101 Washington Street, has stood smiling at visitors only for visitors to pass by without much notice. Years of outdoor weather wear and tear had essentially washed away his elfish smile into little more than a worn down and faded memory. With the help of local business DIMCO, the Vicksburg Main Street Program is proud to announce the once-faded mural now has a new "facelift" and is a sight to behold. 

Artist Quinn McClurg has spent hours breathing fresh life into the downtown mural over the last few weeks, and it's safe to say he has done a fantastic job in doing so. 

- HISTORY - 

One would quickly assume that the Sprite Boy was created as a mascot for the popular Coca-Cola beverage, Sprite, a soft drink most easily recognized for its caffeine-free ingredients and widely known for its branded colors of lemon and lime (which is the official flavor of Sprite).

However, the Sprite Boy made his big debut in Coca-Cola advertisements almost two decades before Sprite was even introduced into the Coca-Cola brand family. 

Created by Archie Lee, who was an executive at D’Arcy Advertising Agency, and drawn by Haddon Sundblom, the Sprite Boy was introduced in 1942, appearing on his own and occasionally, alongside Santa. (FUN FACT: Illustrator Haddon Sundblom is also known for his iconic rendering of Coca-Cola's Santa Claus)

With his elf-esque features and bottle cap hat, Sprite Boy had one simple mission: to help consumers connect their brand name of Coca-Cola to the beverage's nickname “Coke,”. Sprite Boy was a popular staple in Coca-Cola advertising until he was eventually phased out in 1958.   

Only three short years later, Coca-Cola would introduce its newest beverage "Sprite" to soft drink fans.

While Sprite Boy may no longer used in branded advertising with Coca-Cola, his legend still lives on in the heart of downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi.