PepsiCo’s Gatorade and Propel brands are diving into the beverage tablet segment made popular in recent years by Nestle-owned Nuun. Starting in June, the brands will offer dissolvable tablets in plastic tubes of ten that will go head-to-head with Nuun, which offers similarly-packaged functional tablets for everything from sport hydration and immunity to...

PepsiCo will roll out a logo update for its flagship Pepsi trademark this fall, the first such redesign in 14 years. The company’s in-house design firm, led by SVP and Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini, forged the design over three years. Pictured below, the new logo and “visual identity system” is intended to convey four key messages, Porcini and Pepsi CMO Todd Kaplan told BD in an interview:

1) “Unapologetic enjoyment,” with help from a blue “pulse” that radiates from the logo and will change based on the application;

2) Pepsi as a “bold” and “confident” brand, as highlighted by the use of capital letters, a new font, and bold black color for the “PEPSI” word mark; plus a black rim around the logo’s circular...

The exploding popularity of pickleball in the US has created a gold rush for beverage companies looking to capitalize on the sport, which is a miniaturized version of tennis played with a hollow plastic ball, oversized ping-pong-like paddle, and bespoke set of rules. A large part of the appeal of pickleball is the democratic nature of the game, which proponents say draws a diverse group of players from across the spectrum of age and athletic ability. That reach, coupled with the social nature of pickleball, is good for consumer packaged goods brands, too, say Pennsylvania craft beer brewers and beverage co-packers Joe and Abby Feerrar. The husband-and-wife team is launching what they believe to be the first non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage created with pickleball players specifically in mind. “Dink,” named for the shot that is a staple of the small-court game, will debut this weekend at a pickleball event...

Coca-Cola’s BodyArmor is jumping into the fast-growing rapid hydration sports drink segment with a new product called Flash I.V., the company has confirmed to BD. BodyArmor filed for the Flash I.V. trademark in January and will ship the product in the US regionally early next month by way of some Coca-Cola bottlers, BodyArmor CEO Federico Muyshondt said in an interview. The company will take the product nationwide in January of 2024. The emerging rapid hydration market, being forged by brands including Grupo Pisa’s Electrolit, PepsiCo’s Gatorlyte, and Abbott’s Pedialyte Sport, has reached between...