PepsiCo Design and Innovation Partners With Vault49 To Refresh ‘Fitness Water’ Propel | Dieline – Design, Branding & Packaging Inspiration

Propel is a line of sports drinks first introduced by PepsiCo in 2002. Developed in consultation with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), Propel is a “fitness water” that’s sugar-free, zero-calorie, and loaded with electrolytes.

Parent company PepsiCo recently reorganized its sports-focused portfolio and refreshed Propel’s branding to better fit under the Gatorade brand while recognizing its Gatorade roots.

PepsiCo’s Design and Innovation team partnered with agency Vault49 to develop Propel’s new brand identity. The refresh incorporates a new logo that features Gatorade’s signature orange bolt graphic in the middle, while the logo’s typography is refreshed and tightened. The Propel product range gets unified with the same logo and blue background in the middle, along with a thin silver band above. The packaging also takes cues from the brand’s name and is dynamic and evocative of moving forward as a hard-training athlete would on the field or in the gym with an innovative, science-based feel.

Vault49 also made other changes to make Propel’s packaging more athlete-focused, including a new bottle cap similar to those found on sports bottles that allow for drinking without having to twist a lid on and off like typical plastic RTD soft drinks.

Additionally, they focused on an athletic lifestyle to reposition the brand with consumers, including a series of new photography and brand elements and a web redesign.

“Our collaboration with Vault49 resulted in a dynamic, effective visual identity that mirrors the movement and functionality Propel’s products provide,” said Sean Huls, senior design director for Gatorade and Energy at PepsiCo, via an announcement on the redesign. “This marks a new chapter in the Propel story.”

Propel’s updated branding started rolling out in late February with a limited edition bottle featuring Michael B. Jordan as his character in Creed III and in-film product placement.