Pepsi rolls out new logo ahead of cola’s 125th anniversary

Pepsi announced Tuesday that the soda would be getting a new-look logo that will roll out into stores by the fall, in time for the cola’s 125th anniversary.

The logo change marks the first major change to the brand’s visual identity in 14 years, Pepsi said.

In announcing the logo change, Pepsi placed specific emphasis on the logo’s connection to the brand’s zero-sugar offerings. The color scheme was updated from the brand’s traditional red, white, and blue.

“Given the brand’s continued focus on Pepsi Zero Sugar, the design brings in the color black, further showing the brand’s commitment to Pepsi Zero Sugar in the future,” Pepsi wrote.

An electric blue pulse outward from the logo, meanwhile, is meant to represent the fizz and pop of the soda pop, as well as music.

Pepsi was formerly the sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and the musical acts therein and has used pop stars in marketing for decades, including Michael Jackson and Elton John.

Other visual elements of the new logo, including the return to the old look of the red, white and blue waves within the “Pepsi globe,” bring to mind previous Pepsi logos.

The font, while new, is visually similar to the one used in an older bottlecap logo, and is once again inside the “globe.”

“We designed the new brand identity to connect future generations with our brand’s heritage, marrying distinction from our history with contemporary elements to signal our bold vision for what’s to come,” said Pepsi Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini.

Consumer research had indicated that the brand’s older logos from the 20th century, mainly the 1970s and 1980s, had greater appeal and staying power, Pepsi Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan told USA Today.

The new logo will debut in North America this fall, coinciding with the soda’s 125th anniversary — the soda was first named Pepsi-Cola in 1898, having previously been called “Brad’s Drink,” from 1893 to 1898 by inventor Caleb Bradham.