The new 20-ounce bottle.
The new bottle features a jagged contoured base that is easier to grip and a shorter label that exposes more of the drink. The last time Pepsi changed its bottle shape was 1996.
Andrea Foote, a PepsiCo spokeswoman, said that the new design is part of the company’s ongoing effort to update the marketing and packaging materials for the cola. Pepsi has been trying to renew its brand after losing market share to Coca-Cola Co. in recent years. Pepsi’s beverage volume also declined by four percent last year. Other efforts to up the brand have included a deal to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show as well as a marketing deal with Beyonce.
The updated single-serve bottle will first appear in the New York area in April and spread to Chicago, California and Florida.
“The engineers have to go to all the plants and convert the lines,” Foote said.