Pepsi: pepping-up the spirits around

While the scorching sun pass over its feelers and when the sweat droplets slide down the forehead, people say “oh it’s hot”. What comes on mind that time? An awesome chilled drink just enough to beat the heat? For many, it’s ‘Pepsi’. Pepsi is one of the oldest, well-known brands across it’s product-line over the world.

This initiative is to know the story behind a 100 year old, still young sporty brand.. to learn about this exemplary brand-story and to know how the globe icon got evolved as the in fascinating face of the brand.

The Pepsi history clocks back to 1893, the drink invented was known as “Brad’s Drink”. Later by 1898, it became famously known “Pepsi-Cola”. In 1961 it got re-branded to as “PEPSI” and as on today, ‘Pepsi’ is how we see it as. This soft drink is manufactured by PepsiCo Inc. having the headquarters in New Bern, North Carolina. With it’s gigantic presence all over, Pepsi is one of the successful and most valuable brands in the world business history.

<PepsiCo Headquarters, New York

Caleb Bradham: The inventor

Born in Chinquapin, North Carolina on May 27, 1867, in the history, Caleb Bradham is known as the inventor of Pepsi. He halted his education from the University of Maryland School of Medicine since his family was in serious crisis and joined his father’s business. Unfortunately the business did not go good and went bankrupt. Then he worked as a teacher for almost a year and after becoming a qualified Pharmacist, he opened a drug store named as ‘Bradham Drug Company’ in New Bern, North Carolina. Young Caleb had the thirst for inventing a refreshing drink by combining juices, syrups and spices and he used to enormously experiment with variant recipes.

And, finally, Caleb developed a drink which was a mixture of kola nut extracts, carbonated water, sugar, rare oils and vanilla. The drink created by Caleb Bradham was launched during 1893  and his consumers called it as “Brad’s Drink”.  In the pharmacy, it was invented as a drink to get rid of stomach aches. The consumers gave Caleb confidence to launch it as a soft-drink truly potent to quench the thirst. In August 1898, Caleb re-named his drink as “Pepsi-Cola.” He believed the drink he had created was helping in digestion more than refreshing. The brand-name ‘Pepsi roots from the Greek word ‘pepsis’, which means ‘digestion’. As Caleb decided to name his product as ‘Pepsi-Cola’, he also started advertising in the local newspaper. The response was so enormous that the founder was convinced to start a company to do a full-fledged business of the new beverage. The drink was promoted with a theme  “Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion”. On 24th December 1902, the Pepsi-Cola Company was launched from the back room of Caleb’s pharmacy. The trademark ‘Pepsi-Cola’ was filed with US Patent Office on 23rd September 1902 and had got the status of registration on 16th June 1903. The business went on to expand beyond boundaries. ‘Pepsi-Cola’ as a trademark was registered in Canada in 1906 and in Mexico in 1907.

During 1905, first bottling plant of Pepsi-Cola was established in New Bern, North Carolina. The years ahead witnessed a miraculous growth of the Pepsi-Cola which set new heights in sales  through 24 states. The news paper adverts of Pepsi-Cola was endorsed by car racer Barney Oldfield with the theme line “A bully drink that’s refreshing, invigorating… a fine bracer before a race.”

< first bottling plant of Pepsi-Cola in New Bern

During the World War I(1914 – 1918), United States being a combatant, the cost of operating business in US got increased drastically. Unfortunately after seventeen years of business , Caleb Bradham lost his firm, the Pepsi-cola. He was caught in the hike of the sugar prices and production cost could not match with the selling price as he had purchased suger at a higher cost. Pepsi-Cola had became bankrupt and in May 1923 Caleb had to finally sell-off the company with it’s assets to ‘Craven Holding Corporation’ for 30,000 dollars. Later, a Wall Street broker, Roy C Megargel bought the trademark and goodwill of the firm along with the business from Craven Holding Corporation Craven and established the company ‘Pepsi-Cola Corporation’. Despite his best efforts, the company was declared bankrupt for the second time in 1931. The company was then purchased by a a successful candy manufacturer, Charles G. Guth, who had a large chain of candy stores installed with soda fountains. Soon the Pepsi-Cola became the sensation-drink dispensed through those soda-fountains in Charles’ stores. Within a short span of 2 years Pepsi-Cola became a flourishing brand across United States. Late 1930s witnessed the brand getting across the boarders for an extensive international expansion. The company moved into it’s new headquarters in New York in 1934. Never had to look back! further decades for the brand were just to become bigger and expanding to new markets reaching above 120 countries across the globe. Pepsi underwent many ownership changes, where in the merging of the company with Frito Lay made it as ‘PepsiCo Inc.’ in 1965 which remains as the present holding with Indra K. Nooyi as CEO and Chairman since 2014. Today PepsiCo is ranked as the second largest food and beverage business enterprise across the world.

The presentation of trademark Pepsi-Cola witnessed versatile logos during its successful journey. Here’s a walk-through the tweaks and revamps of the logo.

1898: 

This is the first impression of the brand ‘Pepsi-Cola’.

It’s said that the founder Caleb Bradhan first scribbled the design of the brand, which became the base-line for the artistic presentation of the brand for the next six  decades.

1906:

The design style of a ‘bottle crown’ for the brand-presentation had come into existence this in 1906. This is the first circular design of  the brand which was  followed through most of it’s designs through a century. The product description for the trademark application to USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) of this mark submitted by Caleb Bradhan stated it as ‘tonic beverage’

1940: 

The circular boarder of the logo was dropped in 1940 and the brand name was presented more prominently, at the same time the design elements of the writing style were remained.

During 1940s, Pepsi-Cola introduced a new bottle cap featured with the Pepsi script surrounded by swirling red and blue colors on a white background. The colours of American flag used on the bottle cap was to express the brand’s solidarity towards America in the World War II

1960: 

During 1960, the script changed with a blast. The red, blue and white swirls came into picture like frill to the brand-name. The script ‘Pepsi’ was placed between the swirls in all upper-case. During the year 1962, the word “Cola” was removed from the brand-name. That’s when the curtains raised first time for the brand-name “PEPSI”. 

1970:

The brand design underwent a modernization with time. The minimalist concept of design was implemented during 1970. We can cite this effect in today’s design too. The circular design resembles the globe pointing at the brand’s giant presence over the globe.

1991:

This was the brand icon introduced during 1991.

Using the original colors of blue, red and white, the brand was presented in an all-new-avatar.  This is the time, the font brand name has been placed in italics. And, the Pepsi Goobe stood apart distinctively in this design.

1998: 

The company introduced a new brand-design while celebrating it’s 100th anniversary during 1998.

The presentation of the brand ‘Pepsi’ was given more depth in the logo with darker shades, white lettering and a darker blue background.

2005:

The logo introduced in 2005 is the three dimensional design of the previous motif. Pepsi Globe is presented with sparkling beams that indicates energy and a high spirits spread around.

2008 – Present:

During October 2008, Pepsi launched an absolute make-over design as it’s whole-new brand presentation before the world. The Pepsi Globe has been made two dimensional and the swirl design on the Globe has been changed to look ‘smile-like’ effect. The font used to present he brand-name is unique and fashionable.

It is said that the logo designing strategy is derived to create a globe icon which has strong connection with earth’s magnetic field, the theory of relativity, Feng shui, the golden ratio and Pythagoras geo-dynamics.

Besides all full-grown stories and history, ‘Pepsi’ stands at 29th rank amoung  the ‘World’s Most Valuable Brands’ with a brand value of $19 billions; the latest statistical report in 2015 by Forbes.

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