Seasonal beverage packaging becomes a gateway to promotions and extended brand relationships.
The aluminum beverage can represents one of the most frequent consumer touchpoints in modern life, and seasonal packaging offers remarkable opportunities for active engagement. PepsiCo Design and Innovation approached the New Year 2022 LTO packaging with an ambitious premise: each can serving as an entry point to extended brand experiences. The resulting series of six limited edition cans for the Light up the Winter Holidays campaign in Russia demonstrates packaging transformed into a multi-touchpoint engagement system. Each can features QR codes that invite consumers to scan with their smartphones, leading to promotions including chances to win limited edition hoodies and t-shirts that glow. The series format encourages collection behavior, turning a single purchase occasion into an ongoing brand relationship extending throughout the entire winter holiday season.
The mechanics behind the engagement strategy reveal a sophisticated understanding of consumer psychology. Collection series create natural motivation for repeat purchases, while QR code scanning requires voluntary, intentional interaction that generates stronger brand associations than passive viewing. The prize merchandise, specifically glowing apparel, extends campaign presence well beyond retail shelves as winners become walking brand ambassadors. The Pepsi New Year 2022 LTO packaging earned the Golden A' Design Award in Packaging Design in 2022, recognition that signals genuine excellence to stakeholders evaluating creative investment returns. For brand managers developing seasonal packaging strategies, the PepsiCo approach offers a framework: design for series collection, integrate accessible digital touchpoints, and create prize ecosystems that extend brand presence into consumer wardrobes and social circles.
Packaging design has evolved from containment and decoration toward active participation in consumer relationships. The Pepsi New Year 2022 LTO series by PepsiCo Design and Innovation illustrates what becomes possible when brands treat seasonal packaging as infrastructure for engagement rather than simply canvas for seasonal art. What opportunities exist within your brand portfolio to transform routine packaging into relationship-building touchpoints?
