Rockstar Energy was founded in 2001 by Russell Weiner, the son of venomous conservative talk show host Michael Savage. From its early days in Las Vegas, the energy drink was known for its black and yellow colorway and promises of giving consumers the energy to “party like rockstars.” Fast-forward past a couple of successful decades in the crowded energy drink market and the Rockstar brand is now a part of PepsiCo’s portfolio of beverages and decoupled from its gross past.
The drink was also due for a visual refresh to maintain its spotlight in the still fiercely fought category.
PepsiCo rolled the new brand (acquired in 2020) into their Global Design shop for a new identity and significant redesign. According to PepsiCo, Rockstar has been sporting the same look for over a decade, and given every brand’s penchant for redesigning, it was high time.
The PepsiCo Design & Innovation team ditched the yellow for a more flamboyant metallic gold to go with black—which happens to be the same colors as the Vegas NHL Golden Knights—and the star becomes the drink’s visual Polaris, integrated across sub-brands like Juiced and Boom. Even the new wordmark incorporates a star and is now slimmer and more energetic than the previous one. The back-to-back capital Rs remain and get implemented across the entire brand.
The Superbowl can be known for raucous halftime shows featuring pop stars looking to debut a new identity. This year, Rockstar Energy will unveil its new branding with a 30-second commercial, the kickoff to a much larger 2021 campaign.
“Rockstar Energy celebrates the real rock stars and the journey of those that put in the work to make progress towards their goals,” said Carl Gerhards, PepsiCo senior director of design for beverage North America.
“Our intent with the new brand identity is to elevate the brand and its iconic star logo, making it more inviting and improving the consumer experience.,” he added.
