The highest level of the Art of the Universe comprises the next: the Golden Ratio, which reflects the “divine” in each nature and arithmetic; Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Vetruvian Man reveal ideal human physiology – and naturally the Pepsi logo.
At least that is the story a tells 27-page design document a 2008 brand refresh from the beverage giant. In the document, the design agency Arnell Group detailed the explanations for Pepsi’s brand renewal: first, the will to indicate innovation was expressed, then the evolution of art from Pythagorean “spatial harmonies” to the art of the Renaissance was reviewed, until the right recent Design was derived that reflects the trail of sunlight within the earth’s gravitational pull. The final logo would illustrate the “appeal of Pepsi.”
“The Pepsi ethos has evolved over time,” the document says. “The vocabulary of truth and simplicity is a recurring phenomenon in the history of the brand. It communicates the brand in a timeless and clear manner.”
The results of the novel rebranding? The same red, white and blue circular logo of Pepsi, but with a white center stripe that’s curled at a rather different angle than its predecessor.
Even 15 years after this variation – and in March 2024 global rebranding This restored the white center to its original, squiggly shape – the 2008 design document is circulating on social media and sparking viral reactions Tick tockDo-it-yourself leisure activities Graphing calculator, and caused real shock. The absurdity of the 2008 Pepsi logo justification is compounded by the redesign Price tag: $1 million.
“Surely this is satire! Pepsi appeal?!” a Reddit user wrote in regards to the 2008 redesign.
According to Emily Zugay, a “self-proclaimed” (and college-trained) graphic designer who parodies company logos on her Tick tock With 4.3 million followers, Pepsi’s seemingly absurd brand update is definitely pretty common practice.
“When these companies spend thousands of dollars on these redesigns — even something that might take five minutes — they feel like they have to justify it, even to themselves, sometimes with a document like this: by Compare it to the Mona Lisa. “Show that it was worth the money,” she said Assets.
According to Venky Shankar, a marketing professor at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business who worked with Pepsi to design a world forecasting system for the corporate, the continuing chatter surrounding Pepsi’s old logo is the nexus of the corporate’s modern marketing philosophy. The discourse surrounding Pepsi’s previous rebranding could also be a joke, however the driving business aspects and industry trends are very real.
“All brands look for a refresh when their sales are not growing as quickly as expected,” Shankar said. “In this case, carbonated drinks, especially sodas, have been trending downward for a very long time, not just in recent years.”
Pepsi’s 2008 rebranding was no exception: in October of that 12 months, two months after the Arnell Group submitted its redesign document to the corporate, Pepsi reported disappointing result as a result of poor beverage sales, a results of a weakened economy, and announced plans to put off 3,300 staff, about 1.8% of the workforce.
The impetus for redesigning Pepsi in 2023 can also be clear. Despite higher than expected Revenue, Sales were hampered within the U.S. by consumers postpone by the corporate’s price increases. Generation Z consumers particularly have also lost their taste for sugary sodas and are as a substitute preferring healthier carbonated alternatives. Pepsi has hired rappers like Ice Spice to fuel its success Lemon-lime soft drink and launched a brand new line of Bubbly Sparkling water to appeal to young consumers. Pepsi’s recent logo has the same appeal to Generation Z Retro vibes.
“Pepsi has continually reinvented and reinvented our logo over the years – as a brand that is both contemporary and timeless, we have evolved our look and feel, just as our fans and consumers have evolved with us,” the corporate said Assets in a press release. “The visual identity introduced in 2008 has been very successful for us over the last 14 years of the brand. However, in 2023 we will have ushered in the next era of Pepsi.”
Arnell Group didn’t respond AssetsRequest for comments.
Rebrand stumbles
PepsiCo’s marketing updates didn’t at all times reflect Da Vinci’s genius. In parallel with the introduction of its recent Pepsi logo within the late Eighties, the parent company also renewed its Tropicana branding. The juice brand, a subsidiary of Pepsi from 1998 to 2021, removed its front and center logo in favor of a tall glass of orange juice. Social media hated the design back in its early days.
“Do any of these packaging designers actually buy orange juice?” One disgruntled customer emailed: New York Times reported in 2009. “Because I do it and the new boxes stink.”
But it wasn’t a web based uproar that prompted the corporate to revert to its original logo shortly after the redesign. It was the 20% drop in sales that followed a month later.
Pepsi’s misstep was just like Coca-Cola’s in 1985.New Cola” because the beverage company announced it will be changing its drink formula for the primary time in nearly a century. Consumers were outraged, leaving 31,600 calls to the corporate’s hotline, however the anger also strengthened Coca-Cola’s popularity, in accordance with the report his blogas “obviously more than just a soft drink”.
In fact, many big marketing pivots don’t repay. One of Pepsi’s biggest online mistakes occurred in 2017 when the corporate an commercial aired with protesters laughing and cheering, ending with Kendall Jenner handing a police officer a can of Pepsi. The ad borrowed imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement, which protested police brutality, and was widely considered tone-deaf. The company later apologized, but not beforehand Ad memes widespread on the Internet.
“Pepsi sought to convey a global message of unity, peace and understanding. “We obviously missed the mark and we apologize,” Pepsi said on the time.
Shankar argued that corporations walk a fantastic line on the subject of making fun of themselves online: “With a consumer product like Pepsi, if people start making fun of it too much and it starts hurting existing consumers, that could be a problem.” be an issue,” he said.
Was all of it price it?
While Pepsi’s 2017 ad caused enough of an uproar to have negative consequences, the continuing passionate memeing of Pepsi’s old logo is unlikely to be viewed as a threat to the corporate, Shankar said.
Echoing the old adage, “Any publicity is good publicity,” Shankar believed that a vibrant rebranding, nevertheless derided, spelled excellent news for Pepsi. In fact, social media has modified the marketing game as brands Lean into the absurdity Gen Z humor to attract more attention to their products. Twitter memes have led to drinks Wine from Josh Cellars and Cerveza Cristal beer essentially gets free marketing. Zugay, the TikToker, has experienced this phenomenon firsthand. Their intentionally low-quality replicas of well-known logos were reposted and used as social media profile pictures by brands like McDonald’s, Tinder and the NFL.
“People really like it and enjoy it,” she said. “Because it shows that the brand is not untouchable – at least on Tiktok.”
But especially for Pepsi – and that is it waged war I’ve worked with Coca-Cola for many years – brand loyalty can have added to the furore surrounding the emblem.
“Often people find logos and brands valuable to themselves, or they almost feel like they own the look of a logo or the brand itself when they have been a loyal customer for so long,” Zugay said. “I feel like people are very sensitive when it comes to logos and rebranding in particular.”
Pepsi supporters have already shown that they are going to remain loyal to their favorite cola whatever the popularity of the corporate’s rebrands. As one Reddit user put it, “Unfortunately, when I walk through the beverage section, I always succumb to the allure of Pepsi.”
