Packaging

Today we try to focus on eating and drinking healthy and staying away from sugar and “the bad stuff” (i.e. soda). But Pepsi is telling us that when we do splurge, we should rejoice in doing so. In fact, we need to splurge every once and a while with a Pepsi. We need to “Live for Now.”

Of course, just telling us to “Live for Now” won’t do the trick. We need to see it and feel it. Showcasing happy people in commercials and billboards? Check. Sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show and collaboration with pop superstar Beyoncé? Check. Ok. But sales are still down. So, what comes next? …make the package of the actual product feel as energetic and up-to-date as the people consuming it. And so, Pepsi unveils the re-design of their 20 oz. single serve bottle, the first re-design in 17 years.  New soft drink package design?  Check.  Yep. It’s about time.

“This new bottle is the next milestone in Pepsi’s Live For Now marketing campaign,” said Angelique Krembs , Vice President TM Pepsi Marketing. “Our single serve bottle is the most visible and tangible connection point we have with our consumers, and we love how the new bottle expresses our brand DNA.” (Packaging Digest, 3/25/2013)

The bottle has a contoured bottom half to make it easier to hold. The wraparound label is shorter so more of the drink is exposed. The simple, yet easy-to-grip bottle and designcaptures the youthful spirit. We can only wait to see if it’s enough to increase sales. The new bottle is the first in the re-design of the full portfolio currently underway, with additional elements to be rolled out throughout the year. The company expects the new bottle to completely replace the current design over the next year to two years.