PepsiCo rebrands SodaStream to better recognize interests like mixology

Dive Brief:

• SodaStream is repositioning its brand with a line of premium products, new logo, color palette and website, according to a press release. Creative and design agency Pearl Fisher and creative advisor Eitan Cohen assisted.
• The brand is introducing a high-end SodaStream Collection carrying two new sparkling water makers, the Art and the Duo, and planned collaborations with recognized global designers. Marketing elements include a “Push for Better” tagline around the ripple effect created by positive change, a concept tied to pushing the button on SodaStream devices to create sparkling water.
• SodaStream is also attempting to tap into budding consumer interest in hobbies like mixology. The shakeup comes as sparkling water stands as a major growth driver in the carbonated beverage category.

Dive Insight:

SodaStream is reaching for an image that is both premium and approachable with the repositioning, while preserving a long-standing focus on sustainability. The company, which creates countertop machines that convert regular water into the sparkling alternative at the push of a button, previously enacted a digital transformation and consumer-centric strategy three years ago. The world has changed a lot since then.

At-home gadgets that spruce up the kitchen saw a boon from the pandemic lockdown period, while fizzy drinks — including canned cocktails and non-alcoholic seltzers — continue to win consumer favor and upend the beverage industry. The latest overhaul from SodaStream attempts to recognize growing consumer interest in the fields of design, innovation and user experience, as well as hobby areas like cocktail-making that received a boost from COVID-19.

The top-to-bottom revamp aims for a sleeker look, with the addition of a circular logo containing a swirling “S” shape. SodaStream said the icon represents “two inter-locking water droplets arranged in a yin and yang formation, depicting balance and harmony, as well as resembling the planet.”

The marketer is rolling out color palette with a similarly naturalistic bent in hues of Fresh Blue, Deep Blue and Sand. The new visual identity is live now across SodaStream’s direct-to-consumer websites, social media channels and other digital platforms, while redesigned packaging will gradually be introduced to the 47 markets where the company operates next year.

On the product front, SodaStream is promoting its top-of-the-line SodaStream Collection. The advanced range of devices arrives as inflation remains a top economic concern, but has not seemed to stem spending on luxury goods.

PepsiCo acquired SodaStream for $3.2 billion in 2018 in a bid to diversify beyond sugary soft drinks. SodaStream’s marketing prior to the acquisition frequently dinged big soda competitors, but more general eco-friendly messaging has since taken precedence and remains a priority with the repositioning. An Earth Day campaign last spring featured “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff highlighting the brand’s efforts to protect sea turtles.