NEW YORK: PepsiCo has binned the branding it has worn for a quarter-century. Out with the old, in with the grin. The company’s fresh corporate identity, unveiled on 28 October, marks its biggest visual shake-up since the turn of the millennium—a deliberate signal that this is no longer just the fizzy-drinks firm your parents knew.
Sixty years after Pepsi merged with Lay’s, the empire has swelled to more than 500 brands—Tostitos, Gatorade, Quaker, Siete, poppi—and 300,000 employees. It peddles snacks and beverages from Kansas corner shops to Cairo kitchens, from São Paulo’s streets to Shanghai’s stores. Yet only 21 per cent of consumers can name a PepsiCo brand beyond Pepsi itself. Chairman and chief executive Ramon Laguarta reckons the rebrand will fix that. “Our new identity boldly reflects who we are in 2025: a company with expansive reach, aiming for positive impact across the globe,” he says.
The new logo plants a “P” at its centre, hemmed in by shapes representing consumer focus, sustainability and taste. A custom typeface in lower case softens the corporate edge. The colour palette draws from earth tones and vivid hues—soil, drinks, planet, people. And lurking beneath it all: a smile. That grin anchors the company’s new three-word mantra: “Food. Drinks. Smiles.”
Chief consumer and marketing officer and chief growth officer for international foods Jane Wakely calls it “a beautiful expression of both who we are as a company today and our aspiration for the future.” The smile, she insists, signals an “obsession with consumers” that will fuel growth.
The rebrand will roll out gradually across PepsiCo.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, then seep into packaging, workplaces and signage worldwide. Whether it prompts consumers to smile back—or simply reach for a rival’s crisps—remains to be seen.