NEW YORK - 7UP is getting an extensive makeover, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. will tweak the drink??s ingredients to provide a "crisper" lime-lemon taste.

The company is designing a new ad campaign around 7UP, which will be re-launched in September. In addition to the flavor changes, 7UP will have new brand graphics in an effort revitalize sales.

Dr Pepper Snapple chief marketing officer, Jim Trebilcock, said the changes should boost the 7UP??s sales volume. The beverage is second behind Dr Pepper in sales of carbonated drinks for the company. "We grew 7UP last year. We wanted to see if we could accelerate it," said Trebilcock.

With the redesign of 7UP (which has a 1 percent share of the U.S. carbonated soda market), Dr Pepper seems to be positioning itself to better take on rival beverages, such as Coca-Cola??s Sprite (5.5 percent share) and PepsiCo??s Mountain Dew (6.7 percent share), according to Beverage Digest.

"7UP has performed better recently. They may have started getting some momentum. Keeping the pressure on makes sense," said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest.

Dr Pepper Snapple??s flavored carbonated beverages, including Dr Pepper, have been selling well despite declining volumes overall in the U.S. carbonated soda market. Last year, Dr Pepper??s soft drink volume jumped 4.8 percent, with those gains attributed mostly to its new Dr Pepper Cherry.