
Video screenshot via Mauro Porcini / PepsiCo
Bubbling with excitement at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, PepsiCo unveiled its latest innovation: the Smart Can. This high-tech can endeavors to quench the thirst of a generation seeking more from the world around them.
Described by Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo’s senior vice president and chief design officer, as “a CAN-vas for creativity,” the Smart Can is built with a wraparound LED screen designed to “unlock new ways of storytelling.” It began as a passion initiative by the brand’s global beverage design team in Ireland, leveraging the 15% of free time PepsiCo employees are given to explore their creative interests.
The interactive chamber holds its own SIM card, enabling personalized visuals for each drinker. To be clear, Pepsi’s Smart Can won’t replace the typical aluminum cans. Rather, it’s a media platform akin to a television or phone screen, Porcini stresses. This means it can’t be recycled like a disposable container, either.
PepsiCo plans to release the Smart Can to a select group of influencers and consumers worldwide, with further details on its applications to be revealed in the coming months.
Addressing potential concerns about screen fatigue, Porcini reassures that the can will primarily serve as a decorative object—“like a lamp, or a piece of art”—activating only occasionally to provide unique and customized content.
The Smart Can is crafted to foster meaningful engagement through more personal experiences, connecting users with exclusive content. Mark Kirkham, PepsiCo’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, elaborates that this “first-of-its-kind” innovation is about “driving distinctiveness and bringing new fans into Pepsi’s world.” Through this zesty vessel, fans will be able to share their passions in sports, music, and gaming in a novel and interactive way.
[via Marketing Brew, Marketing Dive, Mauro Porcini / PepsiCo, cover screenshot via Mauro Porcini / PepsiCo]