the graphic design blog that speaks the truth

If you love soft drinks or have an interest in branding then I am sure you have seen the new Pepsi logo by now. If not, feast your eyes on this for a second:

The new brand is said to have brought the image of Pepsi into the 21st century but has been met with some fierce criticism from the design community. Some have suggested the new logo is of reference to the recent Barack Obama electorial campaign, whilst others claim to see the gut of an obese man, bulging over his jeans. Is that a subtle way of getting the attention of the target audience?

Further observation got me thinking about the famous competition between Pepsi and their rivals, Coca-Cola. Obviously red is the main corporate colour of coca-cola, whilst Pepsi has predominently used blue during its history. I found that the new logo could be perceived to look like a pie chart representing the market share of the two soft drinks giants, with Coca-Cola being the top dog, and Pepsi falling slightly behind.

What do you think of the new Pepsi logo?