OLD PEPSI LOGO
NEW PEPSI LOGO
The new Pepsi logo is a throwback to the way out 70s. On first pass, we immediately thought of failed airline TWA’s logo and those old red, white and blue basketballs from the same era. This rebranding is all part of a $1.2 billion global switcheroo. The logo is supposed to be Pepsi’s “full smile.” Other brand logos will represent a slight grin (Diet Pepsi) and laughter (Pepsi Max). The font will also change to a retro lower-case format. The new work comes from Arnell, who is the lead on this of the redesign. It really is so 70s. Maybe Arnell felt that the economic worry of consumers then had something to say to the economic worry of consumers now?
BBDO – What happened? Oh right. Pepsi reported a 9.6% earnings drop and is cutting 3300 jobs. Numbers like that will do it in for any AOR. As such, BBDO has been getting scooped on Pepsi business as of late. As we reported a few weeks ago, “BBDO is all hands on deck defending Pepsi. Chiat Day is doing ‘projects’ for the long time client. David Lubars is supposedly universally disliked by the Pepsi folks and that’s a big part of the problem. Look for Omnicom to offer a network solution and see BBDO have a diminished role in the future.”
Still, BBDO’s influence can be seen in this concept of the Pepsi “Smile.” Oh gawd. It’s so cheesy to the max, no? Anyway, the last brand slogan for the coca-cola brand was 2007’s “More Happy.” Not much of a stretch to this whole smile thing, even though there’s going to be a new slogan to go with the revamped logo.
Personally, the whole “smile” and “happy” branding is ridiculous. Give me the Coke side of life, okay? At least, I know what that means. I can come up with a visual image for what Coke is going to to provide me, what that life looks like from the Happiness Factory to a merry holiday to a very 2008, relevant lifestyle. Christ. I think Pepsi and I think of celebrity stunts and Britney Spears.
If you look into the history of brand slogans for Pepsi, there are some real gems such as the 1950’s era “More Bounce To The Ounce”; the 1969 “Any Weather Is Pepsi Weather” and the iconic 1984, “Choice Of A New Generation.”
So, which of the slogans did you like best?