Summer is synonymous with barbecues, long days on the beach, exploring the outdoors, cold beverages, and the quintessential DIY summer campfire dessert: s’mores. Pepsi® is known for dropping unique flavors and partnerships, but the brand wanted to create a unique narrative around a shared cultural moment. The Pepsi team shifted its usual approach to limited-time flavors and created an interactive experience, not just as an avenue to support the product but with the product itself. And so, the Pepsi S’mores Collection was born.

The Pepsi S’mores Collection was launched as a social platform-only culture bomb on the last day of summer 2022 to extend that sweet summer feeling a bit longer. The collection consisted of a trio of mini cans—Chocolate, Toasty Marshmallow, and Graham Cracker flavored Pepsi— celebrating each of the iconic s’mores flavor profiles. The brand knows the s’mores experience is a personal one – everyone likes theirs a little different. By giving each can its own delicious flavor, they gave consumers a s’more creation experience unlike any other, inviting recipients to combine the three flavors to create a personalized Pepsi that is uniquely their own.

This concept started with dual insights: people are always looking for new and interesting ways to celebrate their favorite experiences, and they don’t want summer to end. The Design Team began by tapping into consumers’ nostalgic summertime memories, using the fond association with the s’mores ritual as a jumping-off point to encourage people to break the rules and explore fresh perspectives on their favorite classics.

The Design Team created lush illustrations for each individual s’more ingredient. Set on an iconic Pepsi blue background, crispy graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, and melting chocolate entice consumers to crack open each can. Infographic-inspired illustrations provided simple instructions on product use. In addition to packaging design, we created static and animated social assets set in a cozy campfire scene that highlights the dusky final days of summer.

To reinforce the consumer’s personal s’mores journey, the Design Team created a PR kit that appeared as a larger-than-life s’more itself, designed to look like marshmallows covered in melting chocolate, sandwiched between two graham crackers. The box contained four pull-out drawers that held each mini can, a custom-insulated mug, and an infographic-inspired recipe card to spur the recipient’s creativity.

Overall, the Pepsi S’mores Collection was positively received (98% positive brand sentiment) and helped move the needle on Pepsi KPIs.

Category:Graphic DesignYear:2023Designers:PepsiCo Design & Innovation, New York, New York, USAManufacturer:PepsiCo, New York, New York, USA