Gold Packaging Design · 2021
Pepsi Culture Limited Edition Packaging
- A' Design Award 2021 Gold Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Pepsi
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 34,527
- Verification code AE50004190 · Verify this award
About Pepsi Culture Limited Edition Packaging
Pepsi Culture is a limited edition can series created for a soft drink brand in Mexico. The series consists of six collectible cans, and each can represents one Mexican city. Local stories, traditions and art references are translated into illustrative patterns that combine long-standing cultural symbols with a contemporary design approach. Each can is made of aluminium, holds 12 ounces and is finished with high definition offset printing. The cans are sold individually and together form a series that reflects regional diversity.
Dennis Furniss's Limited Edition Packaging series represents a compelling intersection of commercial design imperatives and cultural heritage celebration, demonstrating how functional consumer objects may serve as vehicles for artistic expression and cultural storytelling. The collection appears to draw upon diverse decorative traditions spanning ceramic tile craft, textile embroidery, indigenous geometric patterning, and maritime folk art, synthesizing these vernacular visual languages into a cohesive family of designs unified by their shared commitment to ornamental richness and chromatic vitality. Each container surface functions as a miniature gallery of pattern-making traditions, from the medallion-and-spray compositions characteristic of historic ceramic tile work to the counted-thread precision suggesting traditional needlework crafts. The technical execution demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how complex pattern systems must adapt to cylindrical surfaces, maintaining visual coherence as designs wrap around curved forms while preserving the integrity of individual motifs. Particularly noteworthy is the chromatic strategy that allows each design to assert individual character while participating in a harmonious collective palette, moving through cool blues, warm magentas, and violet intermediaries with aquatic accents providing fresh counterpoint. The work participates in contemporary design discourse around cultural authenticity and heritage preservation, suggesting how commercial platforms might amplify appreciation for traditional craft vocabularies among broad audiences. The pixel-derived central design introduces intriguing temporal dialogue, positioning digital aesthetics as themselves becoming heritage worthy of celebration alongside centuries-old craft traditions. Viewers might consider how objects of everyday commerce can function as ambassadors for cultural visual traditions, and what responsibilities and opportunities such platforms present for designers navigating between commercial function and cultural celebration.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Celebrating the diversity of Latin America is the mantra for the Pepsi Culture can series. Through the limited-edition series PepsiCo created a unique design system that celebrates the rich and vibrant culture of six unique Mexican cities. Celebrating the uniqueness of the people and the individuality of each cities ancient traditions. Leveraging a contemporary design edge the approach aligns to the brands core value of celebrating diversity.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 12 Oz Cans, sold individually as a series.
- Tags
- Packaging Design, Pepsi Culture Series, Pepsi, Mexico, Latin America
- Production Technology
- High definition offset printing on alluminum
- Design Challenge
- This initiative was very an intuitive design program that relied heavily on understanding the culture of each city. To learn and gain insights we worked diligently to understand and translate the meaningful cultural associations and the arts that thrive within each individual city. A detailed process which took 6 months to complete. This was supported by a light qualitative process to access the design approach. In the end, we recognised that cultural-art has widespread appeal and launched with the confidence of knowing we had a well designed can series.
- Project Duration
- The initiative started in the fall of 2020 in Mexico with a nationwide distribution. Sales sky-rocketed which led to additional production in order to meet meet demand.
- Operation Flow
- Not applicable
- Research
- This is an ongoing program globally for the Pepsi brand, however, this is the first time we've explored hyperlocality as the theme for Design. It was a huge success with incredible results. Not only in sales volume, but also in building brand awareness and earned media. Across all social platforms we watched millions of people share posts of the series itself and millions of reposts in terms of the content we had also developed.
- Inspiration
- These six collectible limited-edition cans tell authentic stories from the six cities they represent in Mexico. Collectively creating a series they are inspired by local stories and traditions that make that particular region unique. Through storytelling and local art references, Pepsi brought the uniqueness of six Mexican cities together.
- Image Credits
- All work is wholly owned by Pepsico, inclusive of; brand trademarks, visuals and graphics, intellectual property.
- Patents
- Not applicable