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October 27, 2008
Rebranding In A Web-Centric World
I have been staring at the new Pepsi logo for several days now. Considering that Pepsi is looking to "for a 'quantum leap' forward in transforming the soft-drink category and defining Pepsi as a cultural leader" it is not surprising that they would want to rethink the logo. But, with all the possibilities for engaging and connecting with consumers in meaningful ways that now exist, is this really the best use of money in a recessionary environment?
For me, a logo is not something I stare at. The logo is described as "a white band in the middle of Pepsi's circle that loosely forms a series of smiles". IMHO..."loosely" is a euphamism for "in the minds of the design team".
The concept of adjusting the size of the white arc to make a grin/smile/laugh is certainly a ground-breaking effort. And the logo's planned use on Pepsi packaging that I've seen is powerful. Plus, with the amount of money Pepsi plans on putting into the rebranding, I suspect they could make it all work. But, given Pepsi's massive reach and near-iconic status on a global level, I would think there would have been better ways to use a billion dollars. Logos can evoke visceral emotion which can be good. But so many of today/s new media let brands interact with consumers in deep and meaningful ways.
In the Internet era, branding does matter, and on a shelf facing, perhaps the new branding will rollout in a really great way. But right now for me, this is a dud.
(Then again, think of all the free press Pepsi is getting from people writing about the new logo....)
Posted by jcioban at October 27, 2008 10:26 AM
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