Some soft drinks became famous through national advertising campaigns. Lemmy earned its place in soda history by helping hundreds of local bottlers sell a taste of homemade lemonade. The brand was created by the A. J. Lehman Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, with federal trademark protection for the name sought in 1939. From the beginning, Lemmy was promoted as a sparkling lemonade made with real lemon juice, complete with a cheerful lemon mascot that quickly became the face of the brand.

Rather than building company-owned bottling plants across the country, A. J. Lehman offered Lemmy through a growing network of independent bottlers. Contemporary advertisements reported that the brand was already being bottled by more than 250 bottlers, while also inviting additional franchises in territories that remained available. For neighborhood bottling companies, Lemmy provided an established lemonade brand supported by professionally designed labels, advertising, and promotional materials. As Lemmy's distribution expanded, so did its visibility within the soft drink industry. At a national bottlers' convention during the early 1940s, A. J. Lehman featured an eye-catching yellow-and-blue exhibit anchored by a giant Lemmy sign, an oversized bottle display, and the familiar smiling lemon mascot. The company also used the exhibit to promote Tom Collins Jr. and introduce its new Tom Thumb beverage line, illustrating the growing family of brands offered to bottlers.

One trade advertisement described Lemmy as "the delicious real lemonade... the kind millions have enjoyed since childhood." It was a simple message that emphasized familiar flavor and everyday refreshment rather than extravagant claims—a style of advertising that reflected the era.

Although many regional soft drinks disappeared as the American bottling industry changed, Lemmy remains one of the memorable lemonade brands of the twentieth century. Its distinctive graphics, recognizable mascot, and widespread licensing program helped establish a place in the golden age of independent soda bottlers, where local companies across the country could offer a nationally promoted lemonade under a name customers came to recognize.