As one of the most recognisable beverage brands in the world, Pepsi has come a long way since its beginnings over a century ago. The Pepsi logo in particular has undergone an intriguing evolution over the decades. It has adapted to new trends and technologies while still maintaining the core essence of the brand. This article explores the history behind the famous Pepsi Globe logo and analyses key design changes and their significance.
The Genesis of the Pepsi Logo (1893 – 1898)
The first logo referred to the original name of Pepsi, Brad’s Drink. It consisted of the brand name in a blue serif typeface and was enclosed within a thin ornate frame against a white background. The letters of the brand name were in all capitals and were executed in an old-fashioned style.
(1898 – 1903)
In 1898, the original brand name Brad’s Drink was changed to Pepsi-Cola to reflect its ingredients. In the refashioned logo, “Pepsi-Cola” was executed in cursive red lettering with curved lines and elongated letters, which mimicked the calligraphic style of writing. Besides, the lower ends of the letters “P” and “C” were joined together in an ornate style.
(1903 – 1904)
In 1903, the logo featured a thick custom red wordmark in cursive style. The elongated lines from the letters “P” and “C” formed thick red ribbons with additional lettering in white. The individual letters of the wordmark were placed at a little distance from each other, which made the whole logo appear clumsy.
(1904 – 1905)
The design of 1903 was refined further by bringing the letters closer and making them bold. These changes made the logo look more professional and confident. However, the rest of the logo elements, including the colour and styling, remained the same.
(1905 – 1907)
The logo iteration of 1905 featured the brand name in red bold lettering where the letters “P” and “C” were connected through a double-loop pattern. And unlike the previous iteration, this logo design did not have any additional lettering on the ribbon-like elements.
(1907 – 1934)
The 1904 logo design with additional wordmarks on the ribbons, “DRINK” and “DELICIOUS-HEALTHFUL” were brought back in 1907. Here, all the contours of the letters were modified to make them look clean. Further, the colour red appeared more intense as the letters were made thicker.
(1934 – 1951)
In 1934, the logo was refined further with the red logotype made thicker and placed diagonally to add a sense of movement.
(1950 – 1962)
In 1950, the logo was refined further to look more modern and professional. The extra lines and the double loop pattern were removed, and the logotype was made bolder.
(1951 – 1962)
The next-gen Pepsi logo was introduced in 1951, which featured the image of a metal bottle cap in the colour palette of red, white, and blue. At the centre of the bottle cap imagery, the previous logotype in red was placed against a white background.
(1962 – 1969)
In the 1960s, Pepsi revamped its brand identity to match the period’s modern and progressive culture. The text-based logo made way for a new, minimalist design that featured the wordmark “PEPSI-COLA” in black capitals and on a red, white, and blue coloured bottle cap. Interestingly, the wordmark appeared to be extended on both sides of the metal bottle cap. This spherical logo captured Pepsi’s expansion into the global beverage market.
(1965 – 1969)
In 1965, the tricolour bottle cap remained the central character of the logo and served as a background for the inscription “PEPSI” in black capitals and executed using a sans-serif typeface. Here, the brand name inscription did not fully fit into the background and within the image of the tricolour metal bottle cap, and was extended on both sides.
(1969 – 1971)
By the 1970s, Pepsi had adopted a tricolour globe with the brand name rendered in an inviting, bubbly sans-serif font. The globe emblem in red, white, and blue represented diversity and universality, while the deep blue text forming the brand name appeared cool and refreshing.
(1971 – 1987)
The logo was redesigned in 1971 to make it look more modern. The tricolour globe introduced in the previous version appeared with a thick white outline. It was placed within a rectangle having a thin black frame. Interestingly, the left and right segments of the rectangle in the background were marked in intense red and light blue, respectively. Further, the brand name appeared on the white part of the emblem in bold blue.
(1987 – 1991)
In the logo iteration of 1987, the rectangular frame was removed and the letters of the wordmark were enlarged. Also, the letter “E” had rounded corners, and the typeface was made smoother and sleeker.
(1991 – 1996)
In the logo iteration of 1991, the brand name was placed above and outside the circular emblem. And beneath the brand name appeared a horizontally-oriented rectangle in red with the circular tricolour emblem on the right.
(1996 – 1998)
In 1996, an additional logo was introduced, which comprised a white brand name written against a blue background with a geometric pattern. The circular emblem was placed at the bottom right corner of the blue background where it was not fully visible.
(1997 – 2003)
The logo was simplified in 1997 with the brand name in white rendered in a bold sans-serif typeface with italicised letters having a shadow and a thin blue outline. The brand name was placed above the spherical emblem in tricolour. The globe-like emblem pointed to the increasing popularity of the brand globally.
(2003 – 2006), (2003 – 2014), (2004 – 2008)
The brand name appeared more dynamic with the glyphs at the end of the letters being made pointed. The spherical emblem was made to look glossy with gradient colours.
(2006 – 2008), (2006 – 2010)
In this logo iteration, the brand name with a deep and light blue colour combination and a thick white outline was placed below the textured emblem showing the effects of water droplets. This gave the logo volume and made it appear realistic.
(2008 – 2014), (2010 – 2014)
The logo of 2008 was quite different where the emblem was made in 2D, while the brand name was rendered in lowercase. Besides, the closing loop of the letter “e” was slightly wave-like. The 2D-shaped emblem had the white band placed diagonally and was squeezed between the larger red and blue-coloured segments. Also, the circular emblem had a slightly thick white and thin blue outline at the periphery.
(2014 – 2023)
The 2014 logo variant was arguably the most minimalist in the history of the company. The emblem on the left did not have the frame and looked modern. The brand name appeared similar to the previous logo and was rendered in a sans-serif typeface.
(2023 – Present)
Recent years have seen Pepsi update its logo for the digital ecosystem. As media consumption became mobile-centric, Pepsi created a simplified, one-line logo that was more legible on small screens. Pepsi also launched interactive branding campaigns on social media to allow users to customise logos temporarily.
The latest logo was updated to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the company. And to do so, the logo variant of 1987 was taken as a reference. The circular portion of the logo was given a black outline to act as contrast against any background. The brand name was rendered in a black custom typeface to match with the outline. This logo variant blended modern design elements with the long history of the brand.
The Elements of the Pepsi Logo
Font
The Pepsi wordmark uses a custom italicised roman font. This original font is called Pepsi Light. If you want a similar-looking, popular font, try Harry Plain. Harry Plain looks close to the Pepsi wordmark.
Colour
Pepsi uses colours to represent emotions. Dark royal blue means “cool.” It is in the original Pepsi. Lighter blue in Pepsi Max means “cool and fresh.” The golden colour in Caffeine-Free Pepsi symbolises balance and energy. The colours connect to how people feel about Pepsi. Research shows what emotions the colours represent.
The History of Pepsi
The origins of the Pepsi name can be traced back to 1898. It was a pharmacy owner Caleb Bradham who rebranded his popular soda fountain beverage “Brad’s Drink” as “Pepsi-Cola.” Bradham developed the original drink recipe that consisted of sugar, water, caramel, kola nuts, lemon oil, and other ingredients, at his pharmacy in New Bern, North Carolina. In order to have a catchy name to represent his sweet, carbonated creation, he purchased the title “Pep Kola” from a local competitor and tweaked it into the now iconic “Pepsi-Cola” brand name.
Interestingly, the name was derived from the word “dyspepsia,” referring to indigestion. This was because Pepsi was initially marketed as a healthy, energising drink that aided digestion. By 1903, Bradham had trademarked the Pepsi-Cola name and was franchising bottling rights for the soda, which became a hit with consumers. Though it began as a medicinal beverage, Pepsi soon started to promote its great taste and energising properties through celebrity endorsements. The strategic rebranding from Brad’s Drink to Pepsi-Cola was a key milestone in the emergence of one of America’s most beloved soda brands.
Interesting Facts About Pepsi
- Pepsi came into the business as Brad’s drink in 1893. It was developed in a drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina, the United States, by a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham. He developed it as a digestive drink and energy booster.
- Owned by PepsiCo, Pepsi also has sister brands within the company fold, such as Walker’s Crisps, aka Lays, Tropicana, Doritos, Mountain Dew, 7 Up, Nobby’s Nuts, and Naked Juice.
- Brad’s Drink was renamed Pepsi-Cola on 28 August 1898, as two of its ingredients were the digestive enzyme pepsin and kola nuts. The term “dyspepsia,” meaning indigestion or an upset stomach, inspired the name Pepsi.
- Pepsi was initially sold in six-ounce bottles.
- The first advertising slogan used for Pepsi was “Delicious and Healthful.”
- The Pepsi company was up for grabs for the Coca-Cola company, but it declined three times, in 1922 and 1933.
- During the Great Depression in 1931, Pepsi became bankrupt as the price of sugar had a sharp increase after World War I.
- To beat the competition from Coca Cola, Pepsi brought out a 12-ounce bottle for the same price as a 6.5-ounce bottle of Coca Cola. This made Pepsi not only solvent but also profitable.
- Pepsi released the first Diet Pepsi in 1964.
- In 1965, Pepsi and Frito-Lay merged to form PepsiCo, the parent company that owns Pepsi.
- Pepsi introduced a blind taste test to pick between Coca-Cola and Pepsi in 1975. In such tests, most people used to pick Pepsi as their favourite.
- In 1972, Pepsi was the first American consumer product to be produced and sold in the Soviet Union.
- Pepsi has been advertised by several celebrities over the years. These included Cindy Crawford, Joan Crawford, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, One Direction, and Lionel Messi.
- In 2012, Pepsi Next was introduced as a drink that had half the amount of calories as a regular Pepsi.
- Pepsi has introduced the drink in many flavours. These include cherry, ice cucumber, samba (mango and tamarind), hot cinnamon, cool mint, mojito, yoghurt, spicy ginger, monkey bread fruit, pineapple, lemon, apple, strawberry milk, sweet bean, ice cream, cappuccino, vanilla, caramel cream, and a French chestnut dessert.
- Pepsi became the first major soft drink to use high-fructose corn syrup instead of sugar.
- As a drink, Pepsi is enjoyed in more than 200 countries.
- In the 1980s, Pepsi spent a lot of money developing a drink that could be used on the space shuttle.
- Pepsi remains a major sponsor of events such as international music tours and the Super Bowl halftime show.
- The philanthropic arm of Pepsi, PepsiCo Foundation, supports various initiatives for education, health, water conservation, and the environment.
Finally
From its cursive origins to the minimalist smiling globe, the Pepsi logo has evolved dramatically for more than a century. Through design choices spanning typography, colour, and shape, Pepsi has responded strategically to trends in consumer culture, marketing, and technology. The globe in particular continues to define Pepsi as a youthful, dynamic, and multicultural brand. While public opinion fluctuates on specific logo updates, the history of Pepsi’s branding ultimately demonstrates the effective design power to propel a brand into the future by celebrating its heritage. This balance of innovation and consistency is at the heart of Pepsi’s global success. It promises exciting developments in its iconic identity for years to come.