Dr Pepper Ten – Man’Ments

According to @DrPepper via Twitter:

“Thou shalt not post pics of your lunch” because real men eat it, they don’t tweet it.

This made me laugh. It brought up the realization of a recent trend occurring thanks to our new age tech-savvy world. When being out at a restaurant, it’s common to see girls whip out their iPhone and snap a shot of the chicken breast entree or Gelato dessert they’ve just been served and post it on various social media platforms.

Dr Pepper Ten – Too “manly”, it never finds itself up against the “wall”.

It was one of the “Ten Man’Ments” that Dr Pepper’s Twitter account has been posting in connection to the new Dr Pepper Ten: Bold Tasting Calories and according to it’s TV commercial, It’s not for women! While Dr Pepper explicitly makes the bold statement that this drink is only for men, they probably meant to come of as being completely tongue and cheek. However, the campaign has definitely received mixed reviews at the beverage’s official Facebook page and from online female audiences.

While diet drinks popular amongst women have zero calories, Dr Pepper Ten is proud of the ten it carries. Additionally, just like Coke Zero and Pepsi Max, Ten strays away from the silver and white colours associated with diet soft drink by using a dark gray package. However, unlike Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Dr Pepper totally skips the subtle nudges at welcoming the male market to their alternate choice to diet and go say it loud and clear – this drink is for real men.

While the brand’s marketing executive is confident “women will get the joke“, some strongly think otherwise. Either way, Dr Pepper Ten could probably take the criticism…like a man(?).

– RFT

Way Back When # 2 – Pepsi XL

Looking back to 1995, here is something I recently got from another trader. It is Pepsi XL. It was tested in Florida but did not receive a great response and the drink was cut short in a few months.

I showed this to my friend today and I explained to her that XL meant: e‘X’cellent taste – 50% ‘L’ess sugar than regular cola. She said she would have never assumed the letters would have stood for that and instead imagined it to represent Extra Large. Could this soda’s downfall have something to do with its name?

Pepsi 40! Actually, they’re not Roman Numerals…

Advertising Age writes that, according to a Pepsi PR guy (yes, it says guy), the name had nothing to do with the ending of the test run. However, the article also includes opinions from consumers who assumed XL referred to extra caffeine or a “spreadsheet” (Microsoft Excel haha). Meanwhile, another person also interpreted the name to mean extra large.

I agree. Perhaps, while the beverage was marketed towards people wanting to cut down on the sugar and calories, the name unfortunately connotes the complete opposite: Pepsi XL will make you HUGE! Yikes.

– RFT

Pepsi – Reduce, Refresh, Recycle! (part 2)

Here is an attention-grabbing recycling container located in Mystic Seaport, CT, USA!

The familiar Pepsi logo rotates. It's like a plastic circle of life.

The great photos (above and below) are kindly provided by Rusty Clark from Flickr. Noticeably, the Pepsi logo is actually rotated to help emphasize the idea of recycling along with the green surrounding arrows.  Making it black helps point out that it is actually a recycling container. Perhaps, if it was coloured blue (the colour of some recycling boxes) it may be mistaken as simply a giant promotional ornament. Black is also used for garbage bags so this would connect to the notion of disposing something.

Giant bottle in historic area! Minds will be blown.

Rusty found this container near the exit of a restaurant/gallery at the historic seaport site, which include time period-specific objects and scenery. He makes note of the Pepsi recycling bin’s contrast in style to its location as he states, “it was funny that here we are ‘back in 1875 or so’ and there’s a larger than life plastic bottle in plain sight!” Notably, it stands out amongst the time period barrels surrounding it. Here, it seems that modern promotional tools can be found everywhere – no matter the time or place! Pepsi took advantage of the location to attract attention.

These could be effective in other outdoor attraction areas like concerts or amusement parks as well.

– RFT

P.S. Please, check out the Can Concepts page to see a Pepsi recycling design I made last year. It’s a somewhat similar design to the recycling container. Take a look and compare.

Pepsi – Reduce, Refresh, Recycle! (part 1)

Recently, PepsiCo Canada took a step towards helping the environment with the introduction of the 7up EcoGreen bottle; which is “Canada’s – and North America’s – first soft drink bottle made from 100% recycled PET plastic.

(PET = polyethylene terephthalate; just say PET – it’s easier!)

It should be recognized that creating a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic is more challenging for soft drinks than for non-carbonated beverages because of the stress on materials from carbonation pressure (newswire.ca). But by making use of existing technologies, resources for recycled PET plastic and efficient processing, PepsiCo Canada made it happen.

It is interesting that the new EcoGreen bottle is exclusively offered for 7up and Diet 7up for now.  Perhaps, the title of ‘EcoGreen’ along with the notion of ‘going green’, which is connected to recycling, fits well with the appearance of 7up’s existing packaging. With Pepsi being the company’s main brand (and Mountain Dew also using green), I contacted PepsiCo Canada to inquire about the new container being applied to other products. However, I was informed that “at this time, there are no plans to change the packaging of [PepsiCo Canada’s] other products.

EcoGreen...green bottle. Yeah, makes sense!

If high costs for the new manufacturing process limits the amount of products that get distributed in the EcoGreenbottles, then it is suitable that the container is created for the company’s “greenest” soft drink – 7up. It’s a good move for the environment and, maybe, if it proves to be very efficient, it can be applied to other brands in the future.

– RFT

Far East Movement # 3 – Scan the Can!

An interesting feature seen on some Coca-Cola cans from Asia are the UPC bar codes. This Coke Zero can was recently acquired from Taipei, Taiwan. Take a look at the barcode:

This can was $10 NT or approximately $0.33 CAD

It resembles the ever-popular Coca-Cola bottle silhouette! It’s such a subtle detail but at the same time, a nice little touch to the package. Similarly, here is a Coke can from China available a few years back. The UPC is very interesting:

I bought a new camera, but it’s currently being fixed. Therefore, picture quality – not so great.

It appears to be Chinese architecture, including the trademark pagoda. The use of creative design elements and attention to such small details of a pop can are admirable. The little things count!

– rft3

Far East Movement # 1 – Taste of Asia

Over the past five weeks, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Asia and experience the culture. Throughout the trip, I discovered some interesting (soda) pop flavours, distributed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi that are not available in North America. Check some of them out!

Sprite “Cool Mint”

I was only able to find this in Taipei, Taiwan. Apparently, the Mandarin characters translate to ‘cool mint’. Upon trying the beverage, it truly did have a minty flavour. In fact, it was probably stronger than the actual lemon and lime taste that is expected from Sprite. This drink can be similar to the short-lived ‘Sprite Ice’, which was available in Canada in 2003.

Sprite – Cool as Ice

In terms of can design, the bright shades of blue create a very ‘cool’ and refreshing appearance; like splashing into a pool of water. The frost design behind the familiar Sprite logo adds to this effect. The overall packaging seems very appealing, especially in the summer.

7up Bite

This was acquired from a 7-Eleven in Hong Kong. (Side note: there seems to be a 7-E;even at every corner in HK). Upon trying this, the first thing that is noticed is the strong sour lemon taste. It is similar to eating a mouthful of those ‘sour key’ candies from the bulk barn store. It’s not exactly a pleasant feeling and I probably could not drink this on a regular basis if it ever available in North America.

When life hands you lemons…you make 7up Bite!

The label does not directly describe the flavour. It merely says ‘7up Bite’ leaving the consumer to assume what ‘bite’ means. Well, now I know it means that it tastes like taking a giant ‘bite’ into a very sour lemon.  The graphics and logo are not impressive, as they don’t match the current 7up branding in Asia. Instead, they appear outdated, from an early 90s cartoon.

Sprite “Green Tea”

This was found in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China. Upon pouring it into a clear glass, the drink noticeably looks and even smells like tea! The taste still has the lemon and lime but includes a slight tea-like aftertaste.

Tea Time – Sprite Style!

The design fits the current Sprite branding well. The familiar logo appears prominent with the name ‘Sprite’ outlined in dark blue to make it stand out. The surrounding green leaf graphics elegantly communicate the flavour. The ‘splash’ art behind the logo also help show that, although it is flavoured like tea, the drink is still a refreshing soda beverage.

Which of these 3 drinks sound most appealing to you? Minty freshness, super sour stuff, or a touch of green tea?

-RFT

Boom Boom Boom!

Well, it’s called Pepsi Boom – a variation of Pepsi only available in Spain, Germany and Italy. What distinguishes this version from regular Pepsi is that it does not have any caffeine, sugar or artificial sweetener. While current Pepsi packaging appears clean and minimalistic, these cans (1990s) show a different art direction from the past:

Three Pepsi Boom cans stacked 'carnival game' style.

Art elements on the packaging include an explosion, firecrackers, and sporting objects (skateboard, ball, racket). It’s odd that the Pepsi without caffeine and sugar have so much graphics that involve a lot of activity. Furthermore, the name ‘Boom‘ would seem to symbolize something with an extra kick of caffeine rather than a lack of it.

Senza Caffeina (Caffeine Free)...but not fireworks free

33 cl (centiletres) = 11.15 oz (USA) or 330 ml (Oh Canada)

Check out how Boom looks nowadays in Italy. The cartoonish ‘Boom’ font still exists, but the overall design has cleaned up to fit the neat and tidy style of today’s Pepsi!

-rft3

pop element

You’re Fired…Up – For 7up Retro!

This past week’s episode of Celebrity Apprentice involved the task of promoting the release of 7up Retro. Just like Pepsi and Mountain Dew have done with their ‘Throwbacks’, 7up is going old-school with the formula, as its being released with real natural sugar.

The task asks finalists, Marlee Matlin and John Rich to impress Donald Trump and the folks at 7up by creating the ‘Retro’ (soda) pop can packaging along with in-store displays, a TV commercial and the incorporation of their charities. The designs, to be released in U.S. stores, can be seen below:

John Rich's 1980s style 'Zebra Print' can.

Marlee's 1970s themed 'Disc Ball' design.

The designs look absolutely crazy – in a good way! Although, they don’t represent 7up’s branding, past or present, that is not necessary. These cans are clearly being marked as limited and special editions which are made by the TV show’s finalists, and not solely by 7up.

John Rich and company putting together their design idea.

Since they look so different and unique, they will definitely grab attention – for 7up, the reality TV show and the charities (Marlee is competing to earn money for The Starkey Hearing Foundation while John is playing for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital).

John Rich’s team member Mark McGrath comments on their can’s appearance, “Imagine walking down the grocery store aisle and you see a zebra 7up can!”.

Marlee's team works with 7up graphic artists to make their can design.

Similarly, regarding Team Marlee’s disco ball concept, Ivanka Trump says, “they have a can, which…could look quite striking. They showed me the graphics and it looks strong”. Today’s Thor Dr Pepper cans can easily go unnoticed, however, these 7up Retro designs are too ridiculous to be overlooked.

As the winner from the task is still waiting to be aired on May 22, the release of the cans keep 7up relevant. NBC’s website is also engaging consumers in this campaign by asking them to vote for their favourite design. This short fun campaign gives 7up a competitive edge over similar products, like Sprite.

If it sticks around…

If 7up Retro stays in the long run, I predict 7up will adjust the packaging to a more traditional appearance. This idea is similar to Pepsi Throwback design changing. First, the blue can showed a modernized old-school script logo. Later, it was switched to a replica of the white can, as it actually was, back in the day.

Until the 80s, Pepsi was associated mainly with white. In the 90s, blue was incorporated into their branding.

From 7up.com - Perhaps, the official 7up Retro designs.

Which 7up Retro design do you prefer? The Disco Ball, the Zebra Print, or the traditional old-school packaging?

– rft

pop element

** 7up Retro photos credit – 7up.com via bevreview.com                                             ** Celebrity Apprentice photos credit – NBC via bevreview.com

Opening Up A Can of…Promotion!

As soda pop cans are national consumer products, it is no surprise movie studios use the beverage packaging to promote their blockbuster films. Currently, as Thor has recently hit the big screen, Dr Pepper cans have the film’s characters plastered on them. The colour choice for the ‘Mega-Size’ is interesting. It may not fit the drink’s branding, but for a special promotion can, it is different and really stands out.

It's Hammer Time!

In Spring 2010, a similar strategy was implemented for Iron Man 2. Check them out below.

Appropriately, Gweneth Paltrow's character is named Pepper!

In fact, over the years, big-budget popcorn flicks have been promoted on pop cans and they all seem to have similar designs – the characters are simply pasted on the can. The shelf below shows some from Star Wars, Shrek, Spider-man, Lord of the Rings etc.

Movie Cans

Probably my favourite movie promo cans are the ones made for The Simpsons Movie. The designers and promoters, used the products that exist in the fictional town of Springfield and created real-world versions of ‘Buzz Cola’ and ‘Duff’ (energy drink…not beer).

No, this Duff is actually not beer - D'oh!

I think it’s more fun and creative than if images of Bart or Homer were placed on existing brands. I’m not saying Marvel Studios should have released Thor ‘hammers’ in cross-promotion with Home Depot. But the marketers for The Simpsons Movie knew they had a pop culture program in their hands. The drinks are clever and designed effectively using bright colours, giving them a cartoon feel. Pretty cool.

-rft

Pop Element

Pop Can Wall – Introduction!

Here is a wide shot of some shelves on my wall.

Back in the day I used to collect all types and flavours but I ran out of room! So I now stick to the main brands. This blog discusses branding, design, and marketing for soft drink beverages.