Pepsi Smart Can

Driven by rapid advances in technology and evolving audience behaviour, influencer marketing is the modern face of the marketing mix. With billions invested every year in influencers to grab the diminishing attentions of consumers on social media, how do brands cut through? The Pepsi Smart Can is one, highly compelling attempt at answering that question.

Originally conceived as a one-off celebration of the modernity and digital-first nature of the new Pepsi identity, the device couples an experimental flexible AMOLED display with a 4-watt audio speaker to showcase brand content in an entirely new format. 

However, with the addition of LTE connectivity, spatial and motion sensing, and a purpose-built cloud-based CMS, the concept took on a whole new life, becoming a connected device that could receive custom media, anytime, anywhere. Pepsi Smart Can was no longer just a promo item for a global brand relaunch, it was now an always-on platform for engaging influencers through unique content in a unique format. 

From seed funding the first prototype, identifying specialised partners and vendors, raising investment from the global business, to designing the microsite and translating the user guide into multiple languages, the project was an all-consuming labour of love with devices shipping to forty markets in under 12-months.