BEYOND THE BEVERAGE
In a world where disruptive consumer products are the norm, beverage companies are still struggling to innovate beyond ingredients and flavor. How to break through? That’s the question PepsiCo grappled with when they approached Smart Design with an idea for a revolutionary new beverage system for Millennials called Drinkfinity.
We helped PepsiCo bring the Drinkfinity system to life, leveraging consumer behaviors and macro trends into a relevant, dynamic and scalable beverage experience. As PepsiCo’s first meaningful platform focused exclusively on e-commerce, Drinkfinity has already launched in Brazil and is currently being piloted in other markets worldwide. (project completed while at Smart Design)
CLIENT: PepsiCo
INDUSTRY: Food & Beverage
MARKET: Latin American Millennials
ROLE: Lead Designer
Drinkfinity is a personalized and portable beverage system that allows people to create their own functional beverage experiences all day long. It’s not a fixed appliance, flavor shot, or one-time drink in a bottle that’s then discarded, like most other options currently in the marketplace. Drinkfinity’s market differentiation comes from the integration of three consumer-centric innovations that offer a unique and seamless user experience:
Pod and Water Platform – Clean, ready-to-drink water is readily available for the vessel throughout the day via tap and water fountains. An innovative pod platform mixes with the water in the vessel to create refreshing beverages as desired. The pods are convenient, portable, and offer a wide range of functional benefits and flavor options. They are also recyclable, and because water is not being unnecessarily shipped in traditional plastic water bottles, the net environmental impact is reduced. The size and scale of the pods are also optimized for efficient e-commerce.
Liquid and Powder Pods – Each pod has a liquid and powder component, which allows specific beverage ingredients to be delivered in the most optimized and natural format. When a pod is pierced in the sealed vessel chamber, the liquid and powder components are mixed with water to create a unique and fresh beverage that tastes great.
Reusable Vessel – The Drinkfinity vessel has been designed to meet people’s growing desire for a single, reusable hydration bottle that can be used throughout the day – whether on the go, in the office, or in the gym. Drinkfinity’s vessel offers 24-ounce capacity, an optimized drinking spout, and a magnetized cap and lanyard holder all integrated into a beautiful and easy-to-clean design.
