Pepsi Logo

Pepsi Logo PNG

Meaning and History

What is Pepsi?

Pepsi is a brand of carbonated drink without alcohol. It is owned by PepsiCo, which has been producing it since 1893 (but it was under a different name at first). The developer of the drink is Caleb Bradham. The pharmacist suggested treating gastrointestinal diseases directly indicated by the name because “pepsis” is translated from Latin as “digestion.”

The Pepsi brand of carbonated soft drinks, owned by the American corporation PepsiCo, has a unique visual identity. And its most recognizable part is the round emblem, which combines three colors: red, white, and blue. They are presented in the form of three smooth stripes, which is also a cult element of the identity. The lines became diagonal only in 2008. Until that moment, they were predominantly horizontal (since 1962) or absented altogether because, until the early 1950s, the logo contained only a stylized bright red inscription. The design of the wordmark changed all the time, but each version featured elements such as spirals, loops, and sharp serifs at the ends of the letters.

1893 – 1898

The logo consisted of “Brad’s Drink” lettering in blue uppercase serifs and a decorative rectangular frame. At the same time, a red version appeared with graceful curves and ornate lines resembling a monogram.

1898 – 1903

In 1898, the first emblem was proposed, composed of the main components of the drink – “Pepsi” and “Cola.”

1903 – 1904

In 1903, the font changed markedly. Designers have removed some of the decorative elements – first of all, dots, loops, jumpers, and ledges, which reduced the legibility of the text. Letter spacing became more uniform, although they were still far from ideal proportions. In addition, the designers of the logo shortened the stem of the “A” with the spiral and added another spiral at the top of the “C” so that from the word “Cola” to the left side, a long stripe could be drawn in the form of a flag with “DRINK” written in white. And on the bottom line connecting the initial “P” and “C,” the phrase “DELICIOUS – HEALTHFUL” appeared. At the same time, an additional element was added to the “C” loop: the number “5” with a cent symbol. That is, the emblem has acquired an obvious marketing function.

1904 – 1905

The designers further balanced the letter spacing of the words “Pepsi” and “Cola” to make them legible. At the same time, the glyphs in the inscriptions “DRINK” and “DELICIOUS – HEALTHFUL” became uneven in height: they increased in places where the ribbon expanded and decreased where it narrowed. The spiral at the end of “A” is no longer as twisted as it used to be. And the hyphen that separated the two parts of the brand name turned into an equal sign of two thin stripes. Some letters have sharp and symmetrical serifs. The “O” took on an oval shape, with the creators of the logo tilting it diagonally because it was above the bottom loop of the “C.” The decorative element above the “si” has also changed: the two side lines have become shortened and pointed at the ends.

1905 – 1907

The developers used for the logo bold type with elongated legs “C” and “P.” They connect to form a loop-like line where the rest of the letters are.

1907 – 1934

In 1907, white inscriptions appeared again on the “ribbons” formed by the protruding parts of the initial “C” and “P”: at the top – “DRINK,” at the bottom – “DELICIOUS – HEALTHFUL.” At the same time, the designers made the Pepsi logo more compact, reducing the distance between all elements by thickening the lines and narrowing the spacing between letters. But the previously reduced serifs became long and sharp, which added visual dynamics to the inscriptions.

1934 – 1951

It was replaced by a laconic version, from which small and insignificant details have been removed. The letters have become smoother and extended into one diagonal line. The word “Drink” appeared on the tape “C.”

1951 – 1962

In 1951, the designers brought all letters except the first to a single standard, using a modified bold font with short and sharp serifs for this. The word “DRINK” disappeared after the phrase “DELICIOUS – HEALTHFUL,” which was present in the emblem until 1934. The initial “P” and “C” became disconnected for the first time in a long time: the authors of the logo made it so that both ribbons belonged only to “C.” Spiral elements have turned into decorative dots. Meanwhile, the red color has acquired a deeper and darker hue.

At the same time, a sign with the image of a bottle cap appeared. Since the Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola logos were very similar in font and color, the designers decided to decorate the metal caps with three wavy stripes: red, white, and blue. As a result, it became a distinctive symbol of the Pepsi brand and moved into its emblem.

1962 – 1969

The designers recolored the phrase “PEPSI-COLA” in black and designed it in a standard bold sans-serif font. The image of a bottle cap with a wavy white stripe in the middle, a red top, and a blue bottom was still used for brand recognition. The inscription was in the center and protruded far beyond the lid, dividing it into two equal parts.

Such global changes occurred because the manufacturer positioned its product as a youth drink and not as a pharmaceutical product, which Pepsi was at the very beginning. At the same time, the feeling of internal energy and movement was preserved thanks to the wavy lines.

1965 – 1969

To avoid being associated with Coca-Cola in any way, Pepsi-Cola removed the second part from its name. As a result, only the word “PEPSI” remained on the logo, and its font also changed. The letters became flattened, and the middle “E” stroke was shortened compared to the top and bottom strokes. The redesign came as Pepsi-Cola and Frito Lay Inc. merged to form PepsiCo Inc.

1969 – 1971

In the late 1960s, the logo has progressed: the bottle cap has turned into an elegant circle. The ratio and arrangement of colors have not changed, but red and blue have acquired more saturated, bright, and deep shades. And the only inscription, which was previously black, was repainted in blue. At the same time, the designers corrected the proportions of the letters so that they did not seem too flattened. Thanks to this, the word “PEPSI” became more compact and no longer protruded so much in both directions.

1971 – 1987

In 1971, experiments with the emblem continued. The developers reduced the circle and placed it in a white ring, making the primary colors dimmer. Two mirrored polygons appeared on the sides: red on the left and blue on the right. Together they formed a kind of rectangle. This part of the logo was inside a white frame with a thin black outline.

1987 – 1991

After another redesign, the colors have become brighter, and the black rectangular border has disappeared. A registered trademark sign appeared next to the second “P” at the bottom. But the main changes affected the inscription itself: instead of the standard bold grotesque, a futuristic font with rounded edges at the “E” and “S” began to be used. The new glyphs emphasized the energy of movement hidden in the waves.

1991 – 1996

In the first half of the 1990s. The logo has been completely redesigned. The designers moved the “PEPSI” lettering to the top and made it italic while maintaining the bold lettering. In the lower right corner was the iconic tricolor circle. The white stripe has been reduced, while the red and blue, on the contrary, have become wider. To the left of the circle was a red polygon with one diagonal side, like a trapezoid. Due to the muted colors, the emblem did not look as bright as before. But this was offset by the unusual shape of the elements.

1997 – 2003

In 1997, the era of the new three-dimensional Pepsi logo began. The designers made the circle voluminous using a gradient. To do this, they added a vertical dark line on the left side, observing the geometric proportions of the ball. Only the central white stripe remained intact, making the circle seem not solid but divided into two multi-colored fragments. The inscription was also visually convex, but this was achieved without a gradient. To draw attention to the brand name, the developers of the emblem repainted the letters in white and complemented them with blue outlines of uneven thickness. Because of this, it seemed like the word was hanging in space and casting shadows.

2003 – 2006

In the early 2000s, the carbonated beverage manufacturer continued to use the 3D logo. But after a series of changes, the circle became three-dimensional not due to the usual gradient but due to light highlights that create the effect of plasticity and artificiality. In addition, it has a light blue outline that prevents the white wavy stripe from fading into the surrounding space when the emblem is set against the same white background. A thin blue line also outlined the inscription at the bottom and right. For more volume, light gray shadows were additionally added inside the letters. At the same time, the designers modernized the font, adding single sharp serifs to the “P,” “E,” and “I” in the upper left corner.

2006 – 2008

The designers turned the iconic Pepsi circle into a stylized ball. On the logo of that time, it looked as realistic as possible because it had a balanced gradient that extended to the central white part. And splashes of water enhanced the three-dimensionality of the image and created a feeling of freshness and coolness associated with thirst quenching. The smaller circle has been moved to the top and center-aligned. The brand name was at the bottom. Its font hasn’t changed much, but the color hasn’t:

• The letters are dark blue.
• The highlights are light blue.
• The shadows are wide and white.
• The bottom outlines are light gray.

2008 – 2014

In 2008, the designers presented a completely new logo, in which the inscription is located to the left of the word “Pepsi.” The letters are executed in a thin, rounded type in the lower case, and the colors form a semblance of a good-natured smile. The updated emblem has become the most minimalistic in all the years of the brand’s existence.

2014 – today

The 2D version of the Pepsi logo is now in use, without the gradient that dominated the decade from 1997 to 2008. The circle is still on the left and divided into three color blocks, but now it does not have a dark border. The upper half is rich red, and the lower half traditionally consists of two parts: white and blue. The white stripe is no longer wavy – it resembles a feather curved on one side. But the wavy line replaces the horizontal stroke of the “e” in the word “pepsi,” where absolutely all the letters are lowercase. The geometric font with rounded glyphs blends harmoniously with the round shape of the emblem.

Font and Color of the Emblem

In general, the famous brand has changed over ten logos for more than 100 years of history. Initially, the adjustments were forced and related to the competition between the Pepsi Coca and Coca Cola branding. But the modern logo is completely different. Because of its similarity to the globe, it is called the Pepsi Globe: it symbolizes the original drink’s global popularity.

The word section uses a custom-made Roman-type italic type called Pepsi Light. The emblem also uses a typeface vaguely reminiscent of Harry Plain. The color scheme of the trademark has always been unchanged and represented a multivariate combination of blue, white, and red. Moreover, the color stripes form a prepossessing smile. It appeared after a recent redesign (in 2008) by Arnell Studio. The agency received $ 1,000,000 for its innovation.

Pepsi color codes