Pepsi Rebrand – Brett

by johndoedesigns

Pepsi has recentley changed its logo for the 11th time in it’s 110- year history. Five logo’s have been introduced in the past 21 years, with the last update in 2002.  

It took the designers five months and 1 million dollars to finalize the (New?) iconic Logo. The newest Pepsi logo was designed by the Arnell Group.

Both new and old logos have an almost identical, rounded, sans-serif typeface, with the red and blue Pepsi wave device sloping upward diagonally to the right. Only the spacing and evenness of the waves have changed.

The new Pepsi logo has come under some controversy the publics reception has mostly been negative with most saying the result is a distorted, watered down mutate of its former self that devalues years of brand equity. Other controversy has involved the familiar look to the Obama’08 campaign logo.

I personally feel that the “new look” for Pepsi is not a significant enough change to previous logo’s  that warrants spending 1million dollars and spending 5 months to “change” I do feel Pepsi is a bit of an over kill as it seems that every time I look at a Pepsi bottle or can the branding has been changed.

I understand the reasoning companies stay current and intend to work with contemporary customers, their typography and colors and the like to have to stay recent and fashionable (in most cases). We want to feel that a brand fits our time, lives in our moment, is something related to us, but how often is to often to rebrand?

Two other examples similar to recent graphic design work are –

Starbucks – The evolution of the Starbucks logo; the latest version, right, drops the corporate lettering and gives greater prominence to the ‘Starbucks siren’

Gatorade – Another brand of the Pepsi Co also designed by the Arnell Group, The Gatorade rebrand was the most successful of the bunch.

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi

http://www.brandxpress.net/2008/10/pepsi-rebrading/

http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/365-Pepsis-New-Logo-Has-a-Familiar-Feel.html

http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/365-Pepsis-New-Logo-Has-a-Familiar-Feel.html

http://myblogadventures.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-pepsi-logo-spouts-controversy.html