Pepsi can design predates Israel-Hamas war, unrelated to ongoing conflict | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The claim: Pepsi, an Israeli company, changed its design to be pro-Palestinian to avoid boycotts

An Oct. 30 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes an image of a well-known soft drink with a new design that features red and blue symbols and Arabic writing.

“The Israeli company PEPSI has changed the design to avoid the boycott and wrote Palestine,” reads text included in the post. “Do not fall for this deception. Continue the boycott of both PEPSI and COKE brands.”

It received more than 10,000 likes in two weeks. Other versions of the claim circulated widely on Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.

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Our rating: False

PepsiCo is an American company, not an Israeli company. The can designs shown in the social media posts predate the Israel-Hamas war that began in October.

Can design posted online prior to October 2023 Israel-Hamas war

There have been calls for boycotts against Israeli companies amid its war with Hamas, but there are no reports from reputable sources that indicate Pepsi is among those companies.

Contrary to the post's claim, PepsiCo is an American company founded in New Bern, North Carolina, in the late 1800s, according to its website.

The can design shown in the social media posts also predates the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which began Oct. 7.

The same image can be seen in an Aug. 17 post on X. That post includes another image of a blue can of Pepsi with similar designs.

Dragon Studios, a digital marketing agency that lists Pepsi as one of its clients, posted a video showing the design process for the blue can on its Facebook page on Aug. 16.

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Pepsi unveiled a new logo in March, and the brand has not published any news releases suggesting it changed its design again because of the Israel-Hamas war.

PepsiCo said it was monitoring the conflict to "determine how we can best aid and support all of those in need in Israel and Gaza" in an Oct. 27 statement. The company pledged a $1 million donation to humanitarian organizations working in Israel and Gaza and matched employee donations to eligible nonprofits providing aid in the region.

USA TODAY has debunked an array of false claims surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, including that McDonald's changed its wrappers to support Israel, that an image showed soccer star Lionel Messi holding an Israeli flag and that Yemen declared war on Israel in October.

Pepsi's new logo, on the right, will replace the one on the left, which has been used since 2008. Products with the new logo will begin appearing in stores this fall.
Pepsi's new logo, on the right, will replace the one on the left, which has been used since 2008. Products with the new logo will begin appearing in stores this fall.

USA TODAY reached out to Pepsi, Dragon Studios and several users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Check Your Fact, Newschecker and The Quint also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim Pepsi changed its design amid Israel war | Fact check