For decades, Coca-Cola had been undisputed as the leading brand of cola. But in the 1980s, things were much more evenly matched. Pepsi boosted its market share thanks to the 'Pepsi Challenge', which saw consumers blind-taste the two drinks, often finding they preferred Pepsi. Coke responded by launching 'New Coke', which was a huge disaster. And Pepsi's growing confidence was reflected in its new branding, including a logo redesign in 1987. "This revamped Pepsi logo gave the brand a modern and refreshing look, replacing the design which had been in place for over a decade," recalls Howlett. "It represented a larger strategy of continuous innovation that saw it stand out against its competitors, namely Coca-Cola who favours red. "It also came at a time when Pepsi sought to associate itself with the younger generation and their design language with wavy lines and bright colours," he adds. "For me, it fully portrayed a sense of fun and youthfulness, which allowed them to align with influential pop culture icons of time such as Michael Jackson and Madonna."
