The soft drink Sprite was invented in 1961 by the Coca-Cola Company and was intended to compete with 7-Up, a lemon-lime soda that was very popular at the time. Sprite was originally launched in the United States and was marketed as a "clear, crisp and refreshing" lemon-lime soda. It quickly gained popularity and was eventually introduced in other countries around the world. Sprite is now one of the most popular lemon-lime sodas in the world and is sold in over 190 countries.