Pepsi rolls out £700m global brand makeover
LONDON - Pepsi has unveiled a new-look logo as part of a radical $1.2bn (£700m) global brand revamp ahead of plans to launch its US brands Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist in the UK.
The brand's red and blue globe icon was created in the 50s. The company now wants it to portray a series of 'smiles' on packaging across the portfolio.
PepsiCo says that the Diet Pepsi logo has a 'slight grin', Pepsi's a 'full smile', while that for Pepsi Max expresses laughter. The font accompanying the logo will shift from a bold upper-case to a retro lower-case format, with the 'e' mimicking the white curve of the classic logo.
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The planned launch of Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist will cast doubt on the future of PepsiCo's 7-Up brand in the UK market.
Citrus-flavoured Mountain Dew, which has been renamed Mtn Dew, has been available in the UK before; it was launched in 1996 but dropped in 1998 following poor sales. In the US, the brand targets the youth market through its associations with extreme sports and computer games.
PepsiCo launched lemon-and-lime soft drink Sierra Mist in the US in 2000 as a rival to Coca-Cola's Sprite, but also to its own 7-Up. A limited-edition Cranberry Splash variant of Sierra Mist, which is an official partner and sponsor of Major League Soccer, was launched over the winter.
Pepsi recently claimed its biggest ever share of the UK cola market, with 23%-24%, following heavy marketing activity for Pepsi Max. However, globally the brand announced plans to cut jobs as a result of poor profits.
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Comments
adewale adeoye-famosa - 21/10/2008
The new Pepsi logo is a very radical change from what we used to know the brand to look like and feel. It is quite funky,trendy,dynamic and gives Pepsi a totally new look.I like it .With this new look logo surely a lot of things will begin to evolve. Phew check it and what do i hear ....hmmmmm "i'm loving it"
Moz in Oz - 22/10/2008
Pepsi should concentrate on its established brands in the UK like 7-Up and on making Pepsi Raw a success before it introduces more new brands. It will be interesting to see how much it intends to spend on supporting the new drinks given that everyone else is cutting back. Perhaps it intends to create a 'cult following' like it has done \(*cough*) with Pepsi Raw.
Duncan James - 22/10/2008
I like the identity but Sierra mist over 7UP and Fido Dido!? Now way! DJ
ian simmons - 24/10/2008
Anyone else think this now just reminds you of Aquafresh and not Pepsi? Looks like Pacman had a fight with some toothpaste. Very bizarre to change the yin yang based design in such a slight way - surely if you were going to make a logo change you'd do it in full...the 'tweak' to the design now just doesn't make sense in what is trying to say about it's customer base/the lifestyle they lead. Is Pepsi now for 'balanced individuals who are a little but drunk'?
Carl Martin - 31/10/2008
I am currently going to remain on the fence. I think its a great image for the brand, giving it a true 'classic' feel, however it destroys its edge as this extreme sports, live fast brand and is edging it closer to Coke's positioning in the market. I don't think it will change much for pepsi, but believe its something I and many others will begin to like over time.