PepsiCo Expo x Dubai | 2021

Designers: PepsiCo Design & Innovation, PepsiCo, Inc., New York, New York, USA
Manufacturer: PepsiCo, Inc., New York, New York, USA

World Expos have provided a platform to showcase the greatest innovations for 170 years, and Expo 2020 Dubai continues that tradition. Having opened its doors on 1 October 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes the world for six unforgettable months, uniting people, communities, and nations to deliver solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing the planet today. Expo 2020 Dubai is a global event experience focused on ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.

PepsiCo is the proud official Beverage and Snack partner for Expo 2020 Dubai, bringing a fun new vision for snacks and beverages to Expo 2020 Dubai’s millions of visitors. PepsiCo does this through a packed schedule of inspiring discussions, engaging educational experiences, exciting entertainment and innovations in hydration, on-the-go snacking and sustainable packaging.

For this important event, the PepsiCo Design Team envisioned and brought to life three unique brand pavilions that are avenues for fun, creative and one-of-a-kind immersive brand experiences. Across these three unique sites, visitors are invited to step into the inspiring world of The Pepsi® and Lay’s® Plus Pavilion, The Gatorade® Bolt Pavilion, and The Aquafina® Drop Pavilion. Each pavilion aligns with the Expo 2020 Dubai core sub-themes and Thematic Districts, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

The Design Team began with the consumer experience, wanting visitors to resonate with the design of the pavilions on a visceral, expressive, and interactive level. The intent was for guests to experience PepsiCo brands beyond the moment of consumption. It was important that the pavilions capture the brands’ tonality and create engaging, memorable experiences that would transform consumers into passionate and sincere brand ambassadors.

At The Plus pavilion in the Opportunity District, the Design Team brought together two of PepsiCo’s most famous brands, Pepsi and Lay’s, reconfirming PepsiCo’s commitment to collaboration, positivity, and togetherness. For the exterior, the Design Team struck a perfect balance between both brands’ Visual Identity, incorporating bold Pepsi blue and bright Lay’s yellow. The Plus pavilion outlines how, together, we are able to take bold steps to create positive change and generate more smiles with every sip and every bite. The Design Team created the space for visitors to capture social moments and share their experiences with others. Visitors can walk through a Pepsi 360-video tunnel to the Lay’s joy pods: the Lay’s Cherry Blossom flavor tree, the sports pod with a surprise message from Lionel Messi, enjoy the flavors pod, and much more.

In the Mobility District, The Bolt pavilion takes people on a journey into the history of the innovative Gatorade brand, and demonstrates how Gatorade is helping to shape the future of sport, from forming new products that fuel athletic performance, to developing youth sports programs to train the next generation of “G.O.A.T.” (Greatest of All Time) players around the world. A visually arresting, bold orange structure was built in the iconic shape of the Gatorade Bolt, a design which allows attendees to enter the experience at the top of the bolt, zig-zagging their way through interactive on-site games and activations that ultimately teach them about what Gatorade stands for, the legendary athletes that use it, the sports science that goes into every bottle, and how Gatorade advocates for an active lifestyle for all.

The Drop pavilion in the Sustainability District highlights PepsiCo’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future for all. We created an engaging and educational experience to enlighten visitors on our most precious resource, water. Here, we tell the story of how just one drop or action can cause a ripple effect and make a substantial impact. The shape of The Drop pavilion is both provocative and intentionally obvious - the structure uses 41,000 Aquafina recyclable aluminum cans to create the silhouette of a water droplet.

The Design Team took inspiration from the fluidity of water, incorporating waves, ripples, and various shades of blue throughout the experience. The color blue has an obvious association with representing water, but according to color psychology, is also the color most conducive for learning. Passersby needed to be immediately enamored with the structure’s striking design, and then enticed to come inside to learn more about the importance of water conservation.

Once inside the pavilion, visitors interact with their own personal Aquatar, a display of their body reflected in water and bubbles, and learn interesting facts about water, like the fact that their blood, specifically plasma, is 90% water. Visitors can also learn about PepsiCo’s efforts to help farmers worldwide with sustainable water practices, smart use of water in manufacturing, and the brand’s innovative efforts to reduce, recycle and reinvent packaging. And visitors can take action by making a pledge to take their own steps to conserve water and resources at home.

Ultimately, the Design Team succeeded in creating a 360-degree experience that leaves Expo 2020 Dubai visitors with an unforgettable impression of PepsiCo and its innovative brands. As Expo 2020 Dubai and PepsiCo are collectively working towards a fun and more sustainable future, during and beyond the six-month event, PepsiCo has taken a leading role in showing millions of people what sustainable and innovative food and beverage practices look like, challenging today, to change tomorrow