Pepsi unveils major rebrand to shake up the cola category
Pepsi is unveiling a complete rebrand in March, with exciting new pack designs for all formats rolling out across grocery, wholesale, licence, and convenience.
The rebrand will create a consistent identity across the Pepsi MAX®, diet, regular and flavoured cola ranges, with new packaging visuals, in-store materials and displays.
The roll-out will be supported by a fully integrated campaign, including TV, digital, out-of-home, in store branding and experiential marketing. In line with Pepsi’s Thirsty for More campaign, it will highlight Pepsi’s commitment to celebrating those who challenge conventions and want to have fun, while forging deeper connections through shared passions. The campaign underscores how the great, bold taste of Pepsi fuels these moments of enjoyment.
As Ireland’s fastest growing cola brand[1], this rebrand forms part of Pepsi’s vision to ensure long-term growth in the cola category. Pepsi Max, a €28.5 million brand[2], continues to recruit more buyers into the cola category than any other brand[3].
In a blind taste challenge, 66% of Irish people preferred the taste of Pepsi Max[4]. The new design focuses on great taste and refreshment, aligning with research showing that taste is a key driver for carbonated soft drinks[5]. By modernising its flagship Pepsi brand with bolder, more vibrant packaging, this refresh helps retailers capitalise on sales amid evolving consumer tastes, in particular the no sugar category has grown by over 13% in 2023[6].
The vibrant new look will grab attention at shelf, playing a key role in enticing new consumers into the category. This rebrand will help retailers maximise sales by sparking a renewed interest in the brand. Pepsi and Pepsi MAX are well-known and loved by many, but as a brand with such a rich history, it’s vital that we work to evolve its look and feel, driving relevance for the next generation.
[1] Nielsen Total Scantrack, Sales Value, MAT data to 31st December 2023
[2] Nielsen Total Scantrack, Sales Value, MAT data to 31st December 2023
[3] Kantar Latest 52 weeks, data to 24th December 2023
[4] In a blind taste challenge on the island of Ireland from 13.09.22 to 04.12.22, 10,014 out of 15,200 people surveyed (66%) preferred the taste of Pepsi Max to IOI’s biggest selling full sugar cola. For verification, see www.pepsimax.ie
[5] Empathy Brand & Usage Tracker, July to September 2023
[6] Nielsen Total Scantrack, Sales Value, MAT data to 31st December 2023
