Designers aren’t the only cry-babies…
Despite some flak from the design world about the initial rebrand that Pepsi did on Tropicana, it seems like it took a small flood of disapproval from loyal customers to show them the error of their ways. Starting next month, it’s back to the old orange with a straw in it approach to selling OJ.
It’s actually a bit surprising to see so much pushback from their typical buyers about the packaging design since (at least aesthetically) it has very little to do with the content. One complaint given to the New York Times was that it looked generic. I can agree with that. It’s not got a lot of personality. Sure, it’s simplified, it’s got less image rendering and it just looks more “2008″, but does that really improve it? Nah. The original image has become iconic. I’d be willing to wager that most people would make an immediate brand recognition based on the straw in the orange alone, and for a juice product that really says something. How many other brands are readily recognizable by the way they treat photographic images of the fruit going into their juices. None come to mind, and walking down the juice aisle, I didn’t see any. Not Welch’s, not Juicy Juice.
Regardless, the push-back brings images to my mind of octogenarians waving loose-skinned fists in the air, furious that they now have to search harder for their morning fiber-tank fill up. “How dare you!” they bitterly cry as the straw is finally removed from the orange after decades with the comfort of knowing it was like drinking straight from the fruit. Fearing their daily 3000% intake of Vitamin C might now have to come from something generic, as opposed to fresh oranges, they join in numbers to march the Pepsi Co. headquarters armed with walkers and saggy stockings. Flannel shirts and faux-double sweaters flood the streets as a slowly moving army of enraged elders rain down upon the foolish young marketing interns who clearly didn’t get the Pepsi Brand Update memo.
Next month, it’s back.
I agree. I went to the grocery store a couple of days ago and the new Tropicana brand stuck out like crazy. After seeing it on shelves, it doesn’t seem nearly as bad a choice as it does standing alone.
I dont HATE the new design but the old one has some much emotional baggage attached to it. When you piss soccer moms off WATCH THE HELL OUT. Thats lesson number one. Pepsi Co. has been a punching bag as of late, but the sales numbers Im sure are gonna suprise a lot of people. Even though I think the new designs suck, they do stand out like a sore thumb.