Pepsi: Classically Un-classic.

Pepsi Sent me a care package including cans which included logos which went all the way back to their first one. Of course we all know that a brand isn't a logo—but logos are extensions of a brand. Symbols of what they are.  That said, I think Pepsi should change their logo consistently. If  Coke feels "classic" then Pepsi should be classically un-classic. The opposite of Coke. If Coke is Sinatra then Pepsi is Madonna—It consistently stays in a constant state of reinvention.

Anyway, my 2 cents. What do you think?

Comments

[jon burg]

A logo goes a long way, and the new Pepsi can looks fresh... for a can. It looks shiny, clean and futuristic, with a clean very fresh font. But underneath it all, the product is the same. Coke drinkers won't switch, Pepsi drinkers won't run, and the undecideds will reach for whatever catches their fancy. Sure, this bottle may say fresh today, but it would have been fresher had they rethought the can. Made it greener. Made is reclosable. Made it somehow ergonomic. Made it more classical and less of the same.

A logo is a logo. It's great to see a traditional brand rethinking their logo, but success in refreshing a brand has to go beyond a logo - packaging, product, messaging, alliances etc. Here's to hoping this is more than lipstick on a horse and is indicative of innovation to come.

[windo]

Hmmm, consistent reinvention. It certainly sounds like an interesting idea. I haven't thought about it that way. Maybe, I'm just too turned off at how boring the new looks are. The graphics and type treatment feels very "flavor of the day-ish to me." But, heck i'm not designer. Pepsi changed out their can graphics all last year with different themes (e.g. music, gaming, sports, car culture, etc.) Same logo, wrapped differently. Not as close to your Madonna analogy, but more like a Johnny Depp? Same hip, cool actor that can play different roles well. gonna grab me a pepsi and boubon now. cheers.

[AV Flox]

Your insight into brand identity and marketing is insightful as always. I'm in complete accord.

[ggiersch]

I remember as a kid when Pepsi took on Coke in the early 70's with network television ads. Pespi was positioned as John Lennon and Coke was more Nixon.

Love the logo changes. Keep changing with your customers.

[Lally]

The last thing Pepsi should do is define itself in the context of Coca-Cola. That is an admission -- in fact an embrace -- of second-place/me-too status.

Not to say your conclusion is wrong: I kinda like it. But your premise internalizes (on behalf of Pepsi) Coke's whole premise that it's "the real thing."

Pepsi needs to create its own context. Dominate that.

[Richard Shaffer]

Pepsi was invented in a small town my family is from called New Bern, NC!

But I think the new logo seems like an evil eye and people should be careful not to stare it for too long! (smile)

I think they should leave it be.

Richard

[Thomas Nehren]

It's easy to say that Pepsi should seek to define itself in its own context and avoid comparing themselves to Coke. But that's not realistic. They have to, because consumers will.

This logo was updated to stay on their brand, which stands for youthful energy and modernism and change. It is 100% un-Coke Classic.

Good on ya, Pepsi. Can't wait to see the 12th logo roll out in 2020.

[Richie Escovedo]

I'm sorry, but you can design your way to good taste. I think redesigning and introducing a new logo will get you noticed, especially the way Pepsi has done it thus far, but will that translate to increase/decrease in market share. Disclaimer: I drink Coke (Zero) and this is my $.02

[Chris Wilson]

I'm down with challenging the status quo. I like it.

The only thing I would add is that with the ever evolving (or freshening) of the logo, Pepsi must evolve and be ever changing twice as much internally. Otherwise it will be a meaningless packaging update and an excuse to send bloggers empty cans in hopes that they will get some eyeballs out of it.

[Michael Hastings-Black]

difference in small, artisanal batches is certainly underrated. i think Pepsi could take a page from the Nike Quickstrike book, and become adventurous with their cans

[Sam]

I think the question these comments are getting at is in this age where it's common for people to have multiple "faces" (blog, twitter, facebook, second life, etc) to express their innerself, is changing its "face" enough to help Pepsi connect with people or does it need to change its core and how it communicates with people?

[BIG Kahuna]

Isn't that what they're doing? If their brand identity is "youth" doesn't it make sense to BE youthful all the time?

[Dam]

I could not agree less.

Though Pepsi clearly has a superior product, they have consistently dropped the ball in terms of creating a public image that will sell their product.

Coke has mastered the art of conditioning. Yes, by that I mean the "Pavlov's Dog" kind of conditioning. Because that same image has been ingrained in our minds almost since birth, the Coke label evokes an association with memories in all five senses. This takes many years to build up and is reinforced over time.

Any departure from this technique would be counterintuitive, as a great deal of advertising budget would be required to reconnect those associations.

Pepsi is not Madonna.

People will tune in to Madonna's programming to see what she'll do next. Madonna's image is both the product and the brand. Pepsi's image is just the brand, or part of it. The soft drink is the product. People don't tune in to Pepsi commercials to see what they'll do next. They are more likely tune in to Madonna programming to see what she'll do next, patiently sit though a Coke commercial in the intermission and then get thirsty.

[Tara]

I think that makes a lot of sense and I'm actually digging the logo change even more with your anti-coke classic theory in mind.

[Jason Zipperer]

@Dam
I agree whole-heartedly on your brand vs. product logic. Very insightful.

I would like to question the statement "Though Pepsi clearly has a superior product". In what ways do you determine superiority in this type of product line? I am not trying to start a Coke vs. Pepsi debate, just trying to get your reasons for superiority.

[Bonnie Larner]

My 2-cent's worth David?

The new Pepsi logo looks like a design from Web circa 1.75

best,
bonnieL

[Lally]

Thomas: If you define your brand in the context of your competitor's brand ... Your competitor defines your brand.

Be your own thing. Consumers don't HAVE to see you through the same lens just because retailers put you in the same aisle.

[Alexis]

I agree with the fact that a logo isn't the brand, but it gives a highligth on it.
Pepsi, at the beginning seemed to "copy" Coke. the logo looked just the same. I suppose it helped peopele identify Pepsi as a soft drink in the same range of Coke.
But with the time, Pepsi created it's own values and had to change their logo. They sort of started flying with their own wings!

[Michal]

Maybe thats why i drink coke, i prefere Sinatra...

but seriously, i think that creating a new logo thats going the opposit way is a great idea but it depends from all of the marketing actions from now on. we will see how will they behave, will they create something new?

[Brett]

If the change doesn't move Coke drinkers to Pepsi, accelerate the rate of Pepsi sales to existing Pepsi drinkers or defend against share loss I'm not sure what the point is?

The fundamental question as I see it is: Can or does design influence the product experience enough to cause people to break their habitual purchase patterns? I'd be interested to know if someone who is already a Coke or Pepsi drinker would actually switch due to a new can when it really comes down to it - I know I wouldn't.

My personal Pepsi profile:
Diet-Pepsi (@ least one a day) and a real Coke, in a bottle preferably, on special occasions.

Cheers!
Brett

[Daniel]

I very rarely drink either - I just don't really have much of a sweet tooth.

But, the thing that struck me from the picture is how much the early Pepsi logos look like Coke - very similar stylised writing!

The early packaging was also only red and white (like Coke) but is now dominated by blue. I wonder if the Pepsi colours will eventually evolve to just blue and white?

Pass me the coffee ...

[Patrick]

I think this type of experimenting is a healthy idea if there are some rules in place to keep it all together. Ultimately this idea is about driving awareness and at some point there needs to be something bigger than just new graphics to drive an increase in market share. I agree strongly with Jon Burg's entry that the real opportunity here is to reinvent the experience with either a greener or more ergonomic can. Reinvention needs to move beyond graphics for it to have real meaning.

[Dam]

I'm surprised that nobody is looking at the failed Coke re-invention in the 1980's.

Pepsi had been hammering Coke with adds about blind taste testing that was being done in which Pepsi came out the clear winner. Coke responded with a product re-launch complete with new branding and a giant ad campaign.
The re-launch flopped. Coke drinkers wanted their old Coke back. This became a well publicized issue in the news media. In the end, Coke had to bend to public demand and it re-introduced "Coke Classic", and quietly phased out the hugely unpopular "New Coke", even though it too performed better than the the old Coke in blind taste tests.

[Scott Weisbrod]

Placing bets on this being one of the shortest live Pepsi logos. Any takers?? ;)

[Branislav Peric]

If coke celebrates joy of life (joie de vivre in french) then Pepsi should indeed consider taking the opposite stance, far away from the naiveness of coke.
Maybe putting into perspective some serious 21st century issues : global warming or any other ecological consideration.

My 2 cents.

[Craig Palumbo]

Madonna continues to reinvent herself because people's taste in music constantly changes. She makes pop music so that she can constantly appeal to younger, newer audiences.

Coke/Pepsi/Tab/Jolt are consistent products that almost never change. They are classic recipes that consumers can always count on. As much as I like to believe that branding influences people's taste in which soda they drink, it really comes down to which taste they prefer. Any changes to their packaging are to keep it in the consideration set of new generations, but once in that set, consumers will make their own mind about which taste they prefer.

Therefore, I'm not sure the Madonna comparison works here. If Pepsi constantly changed its recipe, though, I guess we could call it Pop Soda, not soda pop.

[Colson]

I think the Arnell group punted here. The logo and type face are bland, at best. Nothing like doing minimal work for big bank. Must be nice. I would have rather seen Pepsi go retro and bring back an old logo or a variation of an old logo. Pepsi Classic.

[Morgan Coudray]

Most brands have done good jobs evolving their logo over time to fit with current taste and trends. However, it something that should be done gradually, more gradually than pepsi.
Personally, i find that the logo looks like the one of a sailing club.

[Solo500]

What, do you want to change the world, or just sell sugar water?!

OK, now that that's out of the way... The pic is thought provoking even though the product is basically evil. The logo arrangement is intoxicating, actually.

As a metaphor it is also a good one for many of the dichotomies out there. Coke actually has riffed on their classic logo & image with some cool Lichtenstein like ben day dotted images. But your point holds even more then. The Coke riff is on a stable, "classical" icon. The Pepsi one is of a moving target.

It's no longer exactly true, but in the old days, DC was Coke and Marvel, Pepsi.