Old news but maybe not to you
Over two weeks ago, I read an article in Under Construction’s Brand New that Pepsi has rebranded itself. I’ve tweeted about my thoughts and have said many times that I wasn’t going to talk about it anymore, but realized today that I had not said anything on my blog. So here are my thoughts. Leave a comment with what you think of the new branding.
Now, while the Pepsi logo itself is memorable and distinct, I can’t for the life of me think of what the Mountain Dew or Sierra Mist cans/bottles looked like a month ago. Not necessarily because they were bad design – but they just weren’t memorable branding. I think they often changed too, which would make it even harder to remember.
I have to say that this rebranding as a whole leaves me feeling “meh”. Turning the Pepsi wave into a smile (yes, that’s seriously what it’s supposed to be, smiling at you) is creepy and sets itself up to be negatively parodied quite easily. It also destroys what little branding Pepsi had developed.
There are some good things from the design, however. The fact that Diet Pepsi’s smile is a little thinner and Pepsi Max’s is a little thicker are clever – if you can see past the look of irregularity. While clever and unique to the specific colas, it isn’t different enough so it looks poorly constructed. The simplicity of the labels reminds me of energy drinks, but just the one color background is appealing to me.
Mountain Dew, which has been considered for years as Xtreme! is now mediocre and appears to be as laid back as the feeling you get from the Mello Yellow branding. The switch from “Mountain Dew” to “Mtn Dew” seems to try too hard to be hip – because anything that’s easily textable is most definitely hip, right? The label is no longer extreme and makes me think 70s. Maybe Mtn Dew has given up on being extreme, since there are far more other drinks to choose from to get that energy “kick” that Mountain Dew once monopolized. I do feel that this branding will translate nicely onto snowboards and other extreme sports gear – but if Mtn Dew is no longer extreme, are they relevant as a sponsor in those types of sporting events any more?
Sierra Mist has had the most unmemorable branding of them all. I seem to think there may have been a mountain involved in a previous label, but that may be as old as the very first one. In any case, I would have to say I mostly approve of the Sierra Mist can. While it uses the most cliched effect in design (Gaussian Blur – or any other blur for that matter), I still feel it’s effective. It doesn’t at all look like your typical pop can, which some would argue is bad. However, why do we need it to? While this design maybe would work best as an airfreshner branding, I applaud them for taking a risk on this one. I think the Sierra Mist branding is the one most people are saying they either love or hate. No in-betweeners on this one.
All in all, I feel Pepsi did not need a rebranding. The familiar Pepsi wave makes me think of pouring a Pepsi into a glass. The new one makes me think of things they probably aren’t going for. Business-wise, they probably did it because of a drop in sales. So logically, it *does* make sense to rebrand. But who’s surprised by a drop in sales? You can’t buy a can of pop at the end of the month after paying rent. I’m not buying Pepsi – but I’m not buying Coke either. Hopefully Coke isn’t as trigger happy as Pepsi is with their rebranding.
Photos courtesy of Brand New.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
I agree- you can’t afford a can of pop at the end of the month anyway!
November 10th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I don’t want to stand looking at a display just to find a Dew or a Cherry Pepsi. Besides I’ll have to tilt my head to read what they say, what’s up with that! Mt. Dew says 70s skiing all over it!
November 10th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
It’s important to note, too, that these are designs in mockup form, and those same designs might play better (or worse) in actual product form. I’m not a big fan of the rebranding, but I’m interested to see how it plays out.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:28 am
all I’m all the product labels getting make I over is not surprising. I agree the mountain dew is 70ish makes me think of those puffy ski jackets with the white chevron designs on them. I like the sierra mist, the can reminds me of something really generic. If it said sierra mist and the word pop in the Gaussian blur (huge font) that would be even cooler. I hardly drink pop that much any ways. Sierra mist, only when I am on that side of the state.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Can’t remember the last time I bought a can of pop… although I dew kinda like the new Dew look.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I definitely am intrigued by the Sierra Mist approach. I mean…it actually looks like a “mist.” At the same time, I think if I looked at a can of it for too long I would just get angry because the blurriness bothers me a little bit. That description might only make sense to me.
In all honesty, I like the Pepsi redesign. I think it’s a good way to differentiate some of their products because they now have so many of them that even something as distinct as a different sized “wave”/”smile” might help a little bit. I mean, with Pepsi, Dt. Pepsi, Pepsi w/Lime, Pepsi w/Lemon, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Vanilla, and probably others, I end up standing and staring at them in the store simply looking for regular Pepsi. I’m kind of hoping that even the subtle change might be enough to help differentiate them.
Then again, I don’t actually buy Pepsi (or pop in general) very often, so it doesn’t affect me a ton in the first place.
I’ve never been a Mountain/MTN Dew/DEW fan, so I’m also sort of unconcerned about that change. But I think there’s something to be said about the simplicity of it. Then again, I know very, very little about design, so that probably doesn’t mean much.
Good post though Holli. It’s an interesting question because brand redesigns can always be a dividing subject for people, and I love posts that actually make people think about their own opinions rather than simply reading others.
November 11th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I don’t like them. The Pepsi “smile” being different sizes is weird and I don’t like blurry things. Not to be a downer, but if you are trying to get me to buy more of your product, it isn’t going to work. The only design I might like is Mt. Dew, but I don’t like the taste of it, so that’s still out.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I like the solid color background. I noticed the slimmer and wider Pepsi logo on the different bottles–thought that was clever. Seems they are trying hard to be new and hip. I like the blur on Sierra Mist. Think that with the trees in the background on both the Mtn Dew and Sierra Mist they are trying to appeal to a “green” customer? Both drinks are green.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I really like the Mtn Dew design. I like how simple it is….I’m like things that are simple.
December 6th, 2008 at 1:30 am
I saw the new pepsi cans at Thanksgiving and I was able to impress some of my extended family with my knowledge from hollirausch.com!