Pepsi

Pepsi’s 2023 identity returns the wordmark to the centre of the globe for the first time in over a decade. The circular emblem is divided by undulating red, white, and blue bands, with “PEPSI” set in Pepsi Neue — a custom condensed sans-serif — in black across the middle. Pepsi Blue (#004883) dominates the lower hemisphere while Pepsi Red (#D22730) occupies the top, separated by a white wave. The overall effect is more graphic and assertive than the soft, gradient-heavy globe that preceded it, trading dimensional subtlety for flat, high-contrast impact.

Logo history

Pepsi’s visual identity has undergone more dramatic transformations than almost any major consumer brand. The original 1898 script resembled its competitor’s cursive style. The tricolour globe first appeared in 1950, and subsequent decades saw the orb tilt, flatten, morph into an abstract smile, and drift away from the wordmark entirely. The 2008 redesign by Arnell Group introduced the asymmetrical “Pepsi smile” globe, removing the brand name from the symbol. The 2023 update, developed by PepsiCo’s in-house team, reverses that separation — the word returns inside the globe, and the colour palette intensifies to compete in crowded retail environments and thumbnail-scale digital placements.

Design philosophy

The 2023 redesign is built for an era of small screens and split-second recognition. By placing the wordmark inside the globe, Pepsi ensures the brand name travels with the symbol wherever it appears, eliminating the need for a separate lockup. The flat colour treatment and high-contrast palette reject the glossy dimensionality of previous versions in favour of reproduction reliability across cans, bottles, digital ads, and merchandise. Pepsi Neue’s condensed letterforms fit the brand name within the globe without crowding, while the pulsing wave motif references both the brand’s heritage of motion and its association with music and live events.

Brand identity

The globe functions as Pepsi’s universal container, adaptable across a product portfolio that includes Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, and regional variants. The flat tricolour system extends beyond the logo into packaging design, where blue dominates shelf presence and the red-and-white wave creates a visual rhythm across multi-pack displays. PepsiCo maintains a strict visual hierarchy: the globe and wordmark lead, followed by product descriptors in a lighter weight of Pepsi Neue, establishing consistency from twelve-ounce cans to arena sponsorship banners.

Cultural impact

Pepsi’s history of logo reinvention reflects the brand’s broader marketing philosophy of staying current. Where its primary competitor builds equity through permanence, Pepsi competes through evolution. The 2023 identity acknowledges this by simultaneously looking forward and backward — its bolder colours and flatter geometry feel contemporary, while the word-inside-globe format recalls the mid-century Pepsi marks that many consumers remember with nostalgia. The redesign coincided with Pepsi’s 125th anniversary, framing the update as both celebration and reinvention.