This year, the biggest game in the NFL was taking place in Atlanta, home to the Coca-Cola headquarters and the perfect opportunity for Pepsi to take over the competition’s backyard. We wanted to create an impactful visual branding campaign to complement our Super Bowl partnership.

Few things are more American than American Football and Pepsi, so when we set out to make iconic graphics to reflect the ultimate Pepsi can supporting the NFL season, it was logical for the two to come together seamlessly in a beautifully art-directed piece by a well-known illustrator. Printed on what else? Aluminum, just like the cans.

This is a clever and simple mixture of icons; an impactful visual that, literally, shows how football is impregnated in the DNA of the brand.

The illustration itself is a perfect blend of the Pepsi brand and the much loved sport of the USA. The illustrator is the iconic Venezuelan graphic designer, art director, animator, and illustrator, Igor Bastidas — also known as GIB. In addition to winning two Cannes Lions, Bastidas has been recognized at festivals around the world, including the Toronto Urban Film Festival and Berlin Festival Pictoplasma; his illustrations have been published in numerous books and magazines.

The illustrations were printed on metallic materials that resemble the same materials used in the Pepsi cans themselves. A technique that helped us highlight the iconic figures and the brand elements even more.

Pepsi has reclaimed their position as the official partner of the NFL, helping us to reposition the brand as a historic part of the Super Bowl.