To celebrate Vietnam’s rich food culture, Pepsi transformed its packaging into a tribute to some of the country’s most beloved local dishes. Featuring nine iconic foods across a special-edition series of packs, the campaign tapped into national pride while reinforcing Pepsi’s longstanding connection to Vietnamese dining culture.
We spoke with the team at Ki Saigon to learn more about their campaign for Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam.
Tell us about the campaign
Vietnam has one of the most vibrant local street food cultures in the world. From Barack Obama to Anthony Bourdain, no visit to Vietnam is complete without tasting the country’s world-famous cuisine. Unsurprisingly, Vietnamese people, young and old alike, take great pride in their local dishes.
Pepsi is an integral part of Vietnam’s food culture, and to pay tribute to that heritage while encouraging local pride, Pepsi revamped its packaging to feature nine of the country’s most popular dishes. The initiative marked a market first—a large-scale series of Pepsi packs showcasing iconic Vietnamese cuisine.
What market insights drove the creative inspiration behind the concept?
In Vietnam, local food is a national passion. A source of pride for Vietnamese people, young and old alike. Even at the middle of the night, you will see hundreds of people on the streets enjoying these local dishes prepared by talented chefs. These are not quickly made dishes, but crafted local flavors and ingredients that even world chefs couldn’t master easily.
We wanted to create a mega series of Pepsi local meal packs that plays up the pride and is crafted with the same finesse, inspiration and care that goes into making the dishes itself.
How did the work evolve creatively?
We borrowed the colors and motifs from the vibrant street food art style and typography often found in the street food carts and joints. Elements that represent the city where the dishes originally were born in was also incorporated. We used the 5-color restriction but didn’t let it come in the way to create vibrant packs that can become collectibles in their own right.
Tell us about some of the creative challenges of putting the work together for launch.
As said before, the space where this could play – the size of the can and the color restriction had to be thought through. Also to create a design system that can be replicated over a large nationwide printing machinery.
How does this build upon or shift the brand’s existing visual and narrative language?
Pepsi is loved for its global appeal. This endeavor brings the best of both worlds – the global appeal and in-depth understanding of the local connection and local insights, brining Pepsi closer to the hearts of the Vietnamese GENZ and the nation at large.
Credits
Client: Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam
Executive Vice President Marketing: Venus Teoh
Vice President Marketing – CSD & Mark capability lead: Chi Truong
Senior Marketing Manager: An Ngo
Brand Manager: Ha Truong
Brand team member: Tu Dinh/ Trang Vo
Agency: Ki Saigon
Lead Designer / ACD: Duc Luong (Luongdoo)
Lead Illustration: Duc Luong
Director of Planning / Co-founder Ki: Indraneel Guha
Account Director: Thuy Ho
