Pepsi Logo PNG
Pepsi, a household name in the beverage industry, boasts an iconic logo that has stood the test of time. With its captivating red, white, and dark blue colors encased in a spherical shape, the logo creates an appealing “smile” effect, courtesy of the white swirl inside the sphere.
Meaning and History
The historic brand, which has been around for over a century, has undergone more than ten redesigns of its visual identity throughout its evolution. Originally known as Brad’s Drink in 1893, Pepsi has become synonymous with sweet soda water. Regardless of the emblem used, it has always enjoyed global recognition and adoration.
Who designed the Pepsi logo?
The original script logo for Pepsi was created by Caleb Bradham, the company founder, around 1903. The iconic Pepsi Globe traces its roots back to the 1940s. However, it was in 2008-2009 that the design received its current look, developed by designers from Arnell Group (New York).
1893 – 1898
The legendary drink was invented by American businessman Caleb Bradshaw, who owned a pharmacy in North Carolina. Initially envisioned to help people addicted to morphine, the concoction contained pepsin, an enzyme used for digestion, and cola nuts.
The logo featured blue serif lettering with elegant old-fashioned capital letters sporting smooth curves. Placed on a white background and enclosed in a thin ornate rectangular frame, this wordmark exuded classic charm.
1898 – 1903
The soda’s name was changed to Pepsi-Cola to match its ingredients. The redesigned logo now consisted of cursive red lettering with elongated, gracefully curved lines. This became the sole element of the product’s visual identity.
1903 – 1904
The 1903 Pepsi logo, however, only lasted a few months. It featured a custom red cursive lettering with wishbone details and elongated lines merging into thick red ribbons with white additional wordmarks. The distant placement of the letters resulted in a somewhat clumsy composition.
1904 – 1905
The 1904 redesign refined the fancy characters in the Pepsi logotype, boldening and cleaning up the contours. The letters were brought closer together, creating a more confident and professional look while maintaining the unchanged red color.
1905 – 1907
In 1905, the logo underwent another redesign, adopting a casual identity reminiscent of its main competitor, Coca-Cola. The bold script lettering featured a curved long tail on the letter “C,” with the lines of “P” and “C” connected, underlining the whole logotype and creating a double loop pattern.
1907 – 1934
The concept introduced in 1904 returned to the Pepsi badge in 1907, with modified and more confident contours for all elements. Thicker characters and a more intense red color highlighted the inscription’s power.
1934 – 1951
In 1934, the red inscription was refined, and a thin delicate “Drink” inscription was added above the letter “C.” This logo exuded confidence and solidity, with thicker lines and a slightly diagonal placement that conveyed movement and progress.
1950 – 1962
The 1950 redesign introduced a more professional and modern look, eliminating extra lines and opting for a bolder and more prominent inscription. This minimalist logo was the final version featuring a red and white color palette.
1962 – 1969
The 1962 redesign further simplified and modernized the logo concept introduced in the 1950s. The tricolor bottle cap was straightened, and the blue cursive lettering was replaced by a bold black uppercase inscription in a sans-serif typeface that extended beyond the cap’s contours. This badge remained in use for over seven years.
1965 – 1969
In 1965, the tricolor cap continued to play a dominant role in the visual identity, acting as the backdrop for a bold all-capital “Pepsi” inscription in a simple sans-serif typeface, with a modified letter “S.”
1969 – 1971
The Pepsi badge underwent another redesign in 1969, modernizing and strengthening the previous version. The Pepsi globe’s contours were cleaned and minimized, with the “Pepsi” inscription changing to a deep blue color. The letter contours were refined, appearing taller and slightly thinner than the mid-1960s badge.
1971 – 1987
In 1971, the company adopted a more modern visual identity. A circle with a thick white outline was placed within a rectangle contained by a white frame. The left part of the rectangle featured red, while the right side was blue. The circle replicated the bottle cap’s pattern from previous logos, with a bold blue nameplate on its white section.
1987 – 1991
In 1987, the logo underwent a change where the white frame was removed, and the lettering was enlarged. The typeface was also updated, adopting a smoother and sleeker look with rounded corners on the letter “E.”
1991 – 1996
In 1991, a new composition emerged with the nameplate placed outside of the circle. The logo now consisted of an inscription stacked on top, a red horizontal rectangle underneath, and a red and blue circle with a thick white curve in the middle on the right side of the rectangle.
Additionally, in 1996, an additional logo was introduced – a white inscription on a blue background, utilizing two different shades to create a geometric pattern. The signature circle was exchanged for a portion of a sphere, placed on the logo’s bottom right corner.
1996 – 2003
In 1996, the visual identity of the famous soda underwent simplification. The bold white wordmark in a sans-serif typeface with slightly italicized letters possessed a thin blue outline and shadow. Placed above a three-dimensional emblem resembling a tricolor sphere, this logo also symbolized the brand’s international popularity.
2003 – 2006
In 2003, the lettering gained a new dynamic shape, and the emblem featured gradient colors, providing a glossy and vibrant appearance. This logo remained in use by the company for three years and can still be found on products in various countries.
2006 – 2008
In 2006, the wordmark was positioned beneath the emblem, colored blue with a thick white outline. The emblem itself boasted more distinct lines and a texture with water drops, adding volume and realistic touches.
2008 – 2014
The year 2008 saw the creation of an entirely new logo for Pepsi. The 2D emblem featured a diagonal white line and a thin double outline composed of white and blue. The inscription was executed in lowercase letters, giving a modern touch to this iconic logo.
2014 – 2023
The most recent logo, designed in 2014, is one of the most minimalist versions in the company’s history. The emblem, positioned to the left of the wordmark, appeared modern and solid without its frame. The lowercase lettering, with a customized sans-serif typeface, featured an “E” resembling a white wave found in the iconic emblem.
2023 – Today
To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Pepsi built upon their 1987 logo. They retained the round portion, adding a black outline to elevate its presence on any background. The inscription also adopted a slightly modified custom font, slanted and sans serifs. This logo perfectly blends the brand’s rich history with modern design elements.
Font
The Pepsi wordmark features a custom-made italicized roman typeface called Pepsi Light. For a font similar to the Pepsi insignia, you may consider using Harry Plain.
Color
The color combination used by Pepsi reflects the brand’s core emotional values. Dark royal blue, featured in the original beverage, conveys a sense of “cool.” The lighter shade, seen in Pepsi Max, evokes a feeling of “cool and fresh.” The golden shade in the Caffeine-Free version symbolizes balance and energy.
What does the Pepsi logo represent?
The iconic Pepsi logo, known as the Pepsi Globe, represents our planet. It signifies the brand’s international expansion, recognizability, unity, and togetherness.
Why is the Pepsi logo effective?
The Pepsi logo is considered one of the most effective logos in history. It incorporates a patriotic tricolor of blue, red, and white and utilizes a simple and smooth geometric circle, symbolizing unity and friendliness.
Why did Pepsi add blue to its logo?
In the early 1950s, the company introduced blue into its logo to help differentiate itself from its main competitor, Coca-Cola. Prior to this change, the logos of both brands looked very similar.
Video
Feel free to check out this video for a visual journey of the Pepsi logo: Pepsi Logo Evolution
