In the FMCG sector, logos play an incredibly important role. After all, all those products on the shelves in superstores have to quickly grab customers’ attention and encourage them to buy the product. In this case – a refreshing soft drink. Pepsi’s new logo and brand identity were announced on March 28 and were immediately on the tongues of consumers and branding experts. It’s the first company’s rebranding since 2008. Let’s have a look at the results.

Pepsi is one of the major players in the soft drinks sector. The product was invented back in 1893 by Caleb Bradham, who was selling it at his drugstore in North Carolina. The name “Pepsi-Cola” occurred for the first time back in 1898. Today, the Pepsi brand belongs to PepsiCo, a large food, snack and beverage corporation. The company owns such brands as Cheetos, Lay’s, 7UP (which, by the way, also was rebranded earlier this year), and Doritos. Still, Pepsi is the company’s major product available in almost all countries in the world.

Pepsi’s logo evolution

When you take a look at the evolution of Pepsi-Cola’s logo, you will see there have been several major changes along the way. At first, Pepsi’s logo was similar to the one Coca-Cola uses.

In 1951, they added the second colour – blue. In 1962, they ditched the “Coca-Cola-like” logotype and moved to something more regular. Their brandmark got blue and red waves that have become a must-have element of every Pepsi logo ever since.

Between 1969 and 2008, there wasn’t that much going on; the logo had some refreshes and tweaks but nothing major. In 2008, Pepsi introduced a slightly modified brandmark (that was, by the way, the object of some ridicule) and stayed with it up to 2023.

Let’s have a closer look at the current logo.

2023 – it’s time for a new Pepsi logo and visual identity

To some extent, this new logo is a return to the roots.

You can see the similarity between the 1969-1971 logo (there are many similarities to the version used between 1987 and 1997 as well) and the current one. Of course, there are some changes:

• First off, we have an updated colour palette. For the new logo, Pepsi introduced electric blue and black “to bring contrast, vibrancy, and a contemporary edge to the classic Pepsi colour scheme”. More black elements will also work perfectly with the company’s plans to emphasise its zero-sugar beverages.
• The typeface has changed as well. Now, we have a modern, custom typeface that reflects “the brand’s confidence and unapologetic mindset.” Previously, Pepsi used a lowercase typeface. Now, we have uppercase letters saying “PEPSI” that are placed within the central white stripe of the logomark.
• Lastly, we have the new signature that “pulses” to evoke the “ripple, pop and fizz” of Pepsi-Cola. According to Pepsi, it brings the rhythm and energy of music, an important part of Pepsi’s legacy.

Pepsi’s new logo rebranding announcement

The logo comes with a 100% flat design and a slightly more metallic version. This gives the brand full flexibility when it comes to showcasing a new logo, both on the company’s products and in the digital environment.

The video made to announce the new system was greeted with great enthusiasm. The creatives behind the change truly understood what the brand needed. They prepared it for new years of successful presence to come.

There was a question that we asked ourselves from day one in this project: what’s that design that people would be ready to wear on a t-shirt?

Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo’s Chief Design Officer

We asked our expert to have a look at this new logo. Here’s what he had to say about it.

Pepsi’s new logo and visual identity – Admind’s opinion

While PepsiCo representatives claim that this is the beginning of a new era for the Pepsi brand, what we are actually seeing is more of a brand self-realization. It seems that the brand has, in a way, understood its position and true legacy and has taken a step back to build an identity based on sweet memories and everlasting bold and outstanding character. Paradise lost is what we are given, and paradise lost is what I accept with joy. I feel that what Pepsi has done is what we are yet to observe in global brands all over the world. We should aim for brands to be more authentic, whether we want to do this to generate more revenue or we feel more idealistic, and we want the world to be slightly better.
Another great example would be how Burberry, a leading clothing brand, made similar to Pepsi transformations and eventually bowed its neck to grasp its actual visual heritage. This trend, alongside the usability and readability trends, which are unlikely to fade away, will be the leading trend for brands for quite a time. Personally, I believe these tides of aesthetics are parallel to what we can see in the history of art. The new always takes the place of the old, and after time, that new becomes the old. And as for now, we are witnessing brands reach classicism.

125th anniversary – the reason to celebrate

Why did Pepsi decide to unveil a new logo now? The main reason is celebrating the brand’s 125th anniversary (2023). The company wants this anniversary to be a big milestone in its history, setting “an eye toward the future”. The new Pepsi’s logo and visual identity will start showing on Pepsi products this autumn, first only in North America. A global debut, including Europe, is expected in 2024.

Do you like articles like this? We encourage you to read the rest in this series: Skoda rebranding, Buick’s new logo, Twitter rebranding and Skanska rebranding. Make sure to also download our rebranding checklist to find out whether it’s the right time to refresh your brand.