Brief - The Hustle

In a metal move, Pepsi packages Aquafina in aluminum to crush its competitors’ cans

Written by Conor Grant | Jun 30, 2020 10:36:42 AM

Aquafina, the PepsiCo-owned bottled water biz, will replace its signature plastic bottles with aluminum cans in outlets across the US, according to a recent press release.

For big brands, ‘going green’ has more cultural currency than ever… 

And cans are a very visible way for PepsiCo to “evolve [their] packaging across [their] water portfolio to make a positive impact.”

But, beyond the corporate jargon, PepsiCo’s aluminum cans also aim to put a serious dent in their competitors’ plans for their cans.

Now, Liquid Death could be dead in the water

One of the primary selling points of Liquid Death — the “punk” water brand that recently raised $1.6m — is that its skull-decorated cans are more sustainable than bougie bottles offered by rehydration rivals.

But, now that Big Beverage is cashing in on the canning craze, demand for “alt” water from startups like Liquid Death or Boxed Water (which sells its H2O in boxes that look unsettlingly like milk cartons) could dry up.