Pepsi Logo
Pepsi is a hugely popular and widely used carbonated soft drink that is manufactured and marketed by PepsiCo, Inc. The first Pepsi-Cola (then introduced as “Brad’s Drink”) was created by Caleb D. Bradham, a North Carolina-based pharmacologist, in 1893. It was trademarked as “Pepsi-Cola” in August 1898, and then simply to “Pepsi” in 1961.
PepsiCo, Inc. is headquartered in New Bern, North Carolina. It is the one of the world’s largest beverage companies in the world, with total assets of US$ 72.882 billion and more than 297,000 employees worldwide as of 2011.
Pepsi is one of the most successful, valuable and adored brands in history, with an estimated value of $16.5 billion as of 2012. It has been synonymous with fun, refreshment and joy for more than a century now.
DESIGN ELEMENTS, HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF PEPSI LOGO
Shape, Colors and Font of the Pepsi Logo
The Pepsi logo is widely regarded as one of the most popular and recognized logos in the history of graphic design and advertising. It has evolved over the years.
The earliest version of the Pepsi logo was introduced in 1898 when Bradham selected a scribbled logo script for the company’s first corporate identity. Later on, as the company grew bigger, Bradham decided to overhaul the Pepsi logo into a more customized version of the existing script. As a result, a redesign was unveiled in 1905.
The Pepsi logo was modified once again in 1906; this time to include the company’s slogan “The Original Pure Food Drink”.
A dark time in Pepsi-Cola’s history came when Loft, Inc. acquired it as the company suffered huge losses during the 1933’s sugar crisis. The new owners played smart by doubling the quantity of its drink for only 10 cents. It was when the slogan “Refreshing & Healthful” was added to the bottle. When the prices were further reduced, Pepsi-Cola reverted back to its old logo.
Walter Mack, then CEO of Pepsi-Cola, introduced the idea of 12-oz. embossed bottle in 1940, and the new bottle design came with a crown. Within a year, the colors of the Pepsi bottle crown were changed to red, white and blue to immortalize the war efforts of the country.
The Pepsi logo embraced a “bottle cap” look by 1943. It incorporated the slogan “Bigger Drink, Better Taste”. Nearly two decades later, in 1962, the two bulls-eye marks encircling “Pepsi” were added to the design. Once again in 1973, a boxed Pepsi logo was introduced with minor typeface alterations. In 1991, the company celebrated the evolution of its scripted logo by bringing in a new design with an italic capital typeface.
In 1998, while commemorating Pepsi-Cola’s 100th anniversary, a new logo was unveiled that epitomized the iconic brand’s impressive innovation and global recognition. The 2005 version of the Pepsi logo comprised of a three-dimensional globe against an ice blue background, and the previously designed Pepsi typeface was brought back to its former glory.
The current version of the Pepsi logo was created by the noted New York-based branding agency, Arnell Group, for a reported fee of $1 million. It received harsh criticism from the press and the consumers alike. The logo features a white band in the middle of the Pepsi circle, signifying a series of “smile”. The new logotype comprises of a less formal rounded typeface with lowercase characters.
Further Reading on Pepsi
