Redesign of Pepsi logo hard to swallow

I would rather quaff a flagon of turpentine than drink Pepsi, yet I remain sentimental about the brand.

[New Coke]

Remember "New" Coke? We can only hope this new Pepsi logo will go the way of New Coke.

[HankB]

Couldn't find a picture with a complete depiction of the logo? That's a nice artistic shot but is incomplete.

[Sarah Coop]

This new logo is obviously trying to cash in on Obama and his seal. It has the same three colors and practically the exact same shape. Propoganda at it's worst.

[JJR60616]

You know, the timing is stupid as far as I'm concerned. This is my 2 cents...

Right now the American national psyche is looking for familiar icons and signs to hold steady...given all the benchmarks of American business falling by the wayside in all these failures, acquisitions and forced mergers, this is exactly *not* what to do at this time.

This rates right up there with the New Coke debacle and I don't even have to wait to know we'll be reading about a stunning fall in their sales over the next 2 quarters.

There's a whole new attitude in America and one thing we don't need is another "New" product, especially when the only thing new is the dopey logo.

[Chicago ExPat]

"As for the comments accusing Pepsi of cynically co-opting Obama's sunrise-over-the-heartland campaign graphic, or those noting Pepsi's new plastic bottles have a vaguely, well, uncircumcised molding to them -- let's not go there."

Why not got there? It's not a subtle reference to Obama in the redesign. Coupled with some of the short-slogan billboards, they're obviously riding the coat tails of the most successful branding campaign in ten years.

So why not call the design company, rather than cite the corporate-speak branding guide (27 PAGES? Really. If your branding guide takes more than a couple pages, aside from design sketches, it's too complicated.)

Not that I'm attached to Pepsi or its logo... both are pretty crappy... but at least go to the source and hit the issue that people are actually talking about. And what the hell is with "MTN Dew?" Are we texting our beverage names to the packagers now?

[Pepsi Generation]

They can put a skull and cross bones on the logo and I will still drink it. I heart Pepsi and wouldn't drink coke if I were stranded on a desert island and it was the only beverage available.

[DBX]

I'm glad someone else is thinking what I thought. The redesigned Pepsi logo is easily the worst redesign of any corporate logo since Delta Airlines abandoned the traditional widget in about 1997 for something that looked like stationery letterhead more than any kind of recognizable promotion of an airline. Of course, that disaster has quickly been abandoned for something better, and I suspect this one will be too.

But what really gets me is how Pepsi abandoned something that was truly timeless. For its time the Pepsi logo was daringly modern, and yet the old Pepsi logo still is daringly modern even for this time. It will always be contemporary. This new, distorted, off-balance deterrent to buying the drink simply makes me think of gas attacks and getting fat.

[Refreshed]

Sarah Coop wrote:

This new logo is obviously trying to cash in on Obama and his seal. It has the same three colors and practically the exact same shape. Propoganda at it's worst.

Yes, they were even directly tying it into the new administration. The huge illegal Logan Square billboard, though, reminded one neighbor of Korean Air's logo!

[RPK]

Bring back the old Pepsi logo! The first time I saw the new logo was on a 2 liter bottle at my mom's house. I asked her if it wasn't some knockoff - it made me so skeptical that it was some rip-off, that I was actually afraid to drink it. I haven't bought any of it now that it is on the shelves. It is very depressing to look at - it's screaming that this bottle of Pepsi needs some Viagra or something. Absolutely horrible!- and I am a longtime Pepsi drinker.

[oh really]

It reminds me of the branding that would be on a bottle of energy drinks, which seem to be gaining popularity especially with kids. Get 'em hooked young.

[Marine]

I haven't drank a Pepsi since they switched to that Obama fad nonsense! Some things are better left original... Real Americans drink Coke anyway!

[Jimmi]

It is no wonder that the Chicago Tribune is in bankrupcy - when they consider a soda's logo change to be news. This is why I refuse to purchase the print edition of this rag. Sayonara soon!

[Agreed]

JJR60616 wrote:

You know, the timing is stupid as far as I'm concerned. This is my 2 cents...
Right now the American national psyche is looking for familiar icons and signs to hold steady...given all the benchmarks of American business falling by the wayside in all these failures, acquisitions and forced mergers, this is exactly *not* what to do at this time........

Right on target. Unfortunately,when you consider the time it takes to create, present, and retool, this decision was probably started 3 years ago.

It is a mistake and you have hit the nail on the head.
~Now to get CEOs to THINK....

[Olbuford]

Another case of "what were they thinking?" I'm a Coke drinker (Diet Coke, actually) but have always thought that at the very least the old Pepsi logo and graphics "represented." This thing blends into the backdrop like so much wallpaper. And the "MTN Dew" logo!? Fuhgeddabotit!! Bring back the ol' mountaineer and his corn likker jug--"Yahoo! Mountain Dew!"

[Tom]

The way things are going, this new logo will seem pretty silly 4 years from now anyway.

Pepsi's logos have been around longer than Obama...who copied whom?

[Matt]

This redesign is the absolute laughing stock of the design community. A lot of people still can't believe its for real and not a joke. If you need any sort of affirmation, just check out this link:
http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/ar...

[John Birch]

drink Brawndo!

it's got electrolytes!

it's what plants crave!

[Johnny C]

It's Pepsi, so no matter what the can looks like, it's still disgusting. Now it's easier to walk past it on my way to the Coke products.

[Matt]

Some more hilarity:
http://adage.com/agencynews/article...

[Coke Lover]

Love, the new logo and especially the new add campaign BUT don't like Pepsi...