PepsiCo Revamps 2-Liter Bottles, Launches Apple Pie Seasonal Flavor

PepsiCo debuted this week a redesign package for its 2-liter bottles across its core CSD portfolio, the first update to the format in nearly 30 years.

The new bottle design, which will be rolled out across the Pepsi, MTN Dew, Crush, Mug Root Beer and Sierra Mist brands, among others, is intended to be easier to grip and pour for consumers. The new plastic bottles also feature unique designs on the grip point intended to contain “subtle nods” to each line’s visual aesthetic, according to a press release.

“What excites me most about this redesign is the consumer journey we’ve taken to gather input, test, and evolve the bottle to create the best product experience possible,” said Emily Silver, VP of innovation and capabilities at PepsiCo Beverages North America, in the release. “This redesign makes it substantially easier for consumers to grab bottles off the shelf and to pour at home. While it has taken an immense amount of work to create this at an operational level, the differentiators and consumer experience make it all worth it.

PepsiCo SVP and chief design officer Mauro Porcini said in the release that the redesign is also intended to help the company’s portfolio stand out on shelf by better differentiating from competing brands.

According to Fast Company, the bottles are designed to use roughly the same amount of plastic as the previous versions. However, the label size is about 24% smaller, reducing some waste.

A pilot launch of the new bottles is now rolling out to select Midwestern markets, including Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Wisconsin. A nationwide expansion is expected in the near future.

In addition to the 2 Liter revamp, PepsiCo is also embracing new seasonal flavor profiles as another means of diversifying its existing portfolio. Timed for the Thanksgiving holiday, the company has now launched Pepsi Apple Pie flavor.

The new SKU arrives at a time where strategic CSD leaders have embraced new flavor profiles among their core lines in order to re-energize sales in the category. Last year, Pepsi introduced a line of new flavors for its flagship cola including Pepsi Berry, Pepsi Lime and Pepsi Mango. In 2018, The Coca-Cola Company revamped its Diet Coke line with new flavors such as Ginger Lime and Feisty Cherry (since discontinued amid recent SKU rationalizations) and in 2019 added Orange Vanilla to the core Coke line.

This innovation trend comes as the CSD category has experienced near-double digit sales growth, up 9.4% to $29.8 billion in the 52-week period ending October 31, according to Nielsen. In that same period, PepsiCo has increased sales of carbonated beverages 6.8% to $8.7 billion while Coke was up 9.2% to $12.3 billion.

The new Apple Pie flavor is being promoted with an online sweepstakes encouraging consumers to submit “baking fail” photos and videos to the Pepsi Twitter and Tik Tok accounts using the hashtag #PepsiApplePieChallenge.