+6 votes
in General Factchecking by Genius (43.6k points)
Pepsi changed its design to be pro-Palestinian in order to avoid boycotts. The Israeli company PEPSI has changed the design to avoid the boycott and wrote Palestine. Do not fall for this deception. Continue the boycott of both PEPSI and COKE brands. #boycott #palestine
by Novice (540 points)
+1
This is very unreliable especially if you got your source from TikTok. The user who posted that original video has no credentials or facts to back it up and is biased. Nothing popped up when I looked up if Pepsi changed its design in a show of support. There is no official statement or post from Pepsi saying they did.
by Novice (640 points)
Your source is unreliable because it is from a TikTok video. There are no facts, and the video is clearly biased. There is no other information regarding Pepsi changing its logo regarding anything to do with the conflict.
by Apprentice (1.1k points)
This source is unreliable. First, it comes from a TikTok video whose content creator is spilling content that is false. On the creators page they are either cooking or filming themselves and their surroundings and they do not have any source of credentials to back up their claim. Secondly, Pepsi is not an Israeli company so they are sharing misinformation to the public. Finally, other news outlets such as USA Today has stated that this claim is false.
by Novice (580 points)
There's no credible evidence or official announcement from Pepsi indicating a change in design for pro-Palestinian reasons. Engaging in a boycott based on unverified information might not be an effective or justified action. Jumping to conclusions without proper evidence can contribute to the spread of misinformation. TikTok is not a reliable source, and should not be used as evidence.
by Novice (780 points)
TikTok is an incredibly unreliable source for information like this. Many creators will post things like this just to provoke an audience. Upon doing my own research - like the other commenters - I found no information on pepsi changing their design to be pro-Palestine to avoid boycotts. I can understand TikTok seeming to be a credible source at some points simply due to the fact that mass amounts of information goes through the app daily; however, it is important to always be wary when it comes to trusting news off of social media.
by Novice (660 points)
I beleive with this check that all self bias has to be put away and you have to look at real and relaible facts. In this check it is cleary bias (coming from the creator of the Tik Tok), as there is no actual facts supporting anything that they are claiming. If you go do research you will find that there has been no changes made. This source is not reliable.
by Novice (700 points)
I would say that this isn't a credible source because the link added to the post was from TikTok. While some things might be spread to educate on TikTok, it's also important to not believe everything that is posted on it because information can be misconstrued or fabricated to get views.
by Apprentice (1.2k points)
This claim is incorrect. The author of the post is not a credible source, as well as the medium of the post (Tiktok), is not credible. There are also no articles or sources that support this claim.
by Novice (640 points)
This claim is entirely false and TikTok is not a reliable source because there is an immense amount of misinformation and disinformation that is spread daily on that application. Upon my research, I found numerous credible sources disproving this claim.
 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2023/11/14/false-claim-pepsi-changed-its-design-amid-israel-war-fact-check/71455687007/

11 Answers

+13 votes
by Novice (970 points)
This claim states that Pepsi changed its design to be pro-Palestinian in order to avoid boycotts and also states that the Pepsi company is Israeli. First of all Tiktok is not a reliable place for news. While doing research on this claim I can point out that Pepsi is a American company not a Israeli company. When looking at the Pepsi website itself I am not seeing any evidence for logo changes. When I also looked up these claims I found that the USA Today which is a reliable source also has debunked many other companies that have claims saying they also have changed their logos such as Mcdonalds and their wrappers. Overall, this claim is false and Pepsi did not change any of their logos.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2023/11/14/false-claim-pepsi-changed-its-design-amid-israel-war-fact-check/71455687007/

https://www.pepsi.com/#!products
by Journeyman (2.2k points)
What makes USA Today a reliable source? Also, the article from USA Today stated that the can design was an old design, which was made before the Israel-Hamas war.
by Apprentice (1.6k points)
The Israel-Hamas war that started in October. The conflict is extremely long standing and it is important to refer to the specific time period.
by Apprentice (1.6k points)
Although I agree with your claims of TikTok being an unreliable source and that PepsiCo is not an Israeli company, Pepsi's logo has been changed. If you go onto PepsiCo's website (PepsiCo is the product's manufacture) and go onto their 'About Us" page, there is a timeline towards the bottom of the page. There you can see Pepsi's logo changes. On their 2022 slide, Pepsi is shown with its previous logo which is different from the logo on the Pepsi can promoted on the website you listed. The USA Today article you linked also says that Pepsi changed their logo, and Pepsi's Instagram account shows both logos in multiple past posts. So the claim in your last sentence is only partially true.
by Novice (830 points)
I agree with your comment that tik tok is not a reliable source considering anyone can post anything they want with no source needed. It is also important to remember that one of the main goals of creators on tik tok is to get as much engagement as possible, which leads to a lot of exaggerated or fully fake news. Commenter “ebui” pointed out that Pepsi has changed their logo since the Israeli-Palestine conflict began which is true; however, you must note that Pepsi regularly changes their logos every five-ish years. So the recent logo change is regular and not out of the ordinary. Your last statement is partially true but misleading since Pepsi HAS changed their logo, just not for the reason the tik tok claims.
Sources
https://1000logos.net/pepsi-logo/
by Novice (870 points)
Hello! Very good catch here. I also was puzzled when I first saw this article, because I hadn't seen any Pepsi logo change anywhere. It would be all over the news if Pepsi changed their iconic logo. Thank you for also pointing out that this TikTok had no actual facts or evidence. Again, why people get their news from TikTok baffles me. I'm glad that the reliable source was able to debunk a ton of this misinformation.
+1 vote
by Novice (820 points)
This claim is very misleading and false. After doing some digging around I found an article by USA Today that fact checked this very claim. While Pepsi did change their logo in March, they made no statement that their new logo was related to the Israel-Hamas War. In an Instagram post where the claim was first being made it stated "The Israeli company PEPSI has changed the design to avoid the boycott and wrote Palestine". It has now been taken down. After doing further research about the company, it has been stated that Pepsi is an American brand. While looking at the Tik Tok that was posted it is an unreliable source to obtain factual information from. That is very skewed and is just a claim with no facts to back it up.

Source:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2023/11/14/false-claim-pepsi-changed-its-design-amid-israel-war-fact-check/71455687007/
by Apprentice (1.6k points)
While your reasoning is sound, I believe that USA Today is not a particularly credible source. I would instead conduct research into Pepsi's position on the Palestine Israel War. This reveals that Pepsi's only official statements have declared that they are supporting victim relief on both sides, creating a stronger argument from reputable sources that Pepsi is likely not branding themselves in alignment with Palestine or Israel exclusively.
+2 votes
by Apprentice (1.2k points)
The claim that Pepsi has changed its packaging to avoid boycotts is untrue. It is also untrue that Pepsi is an Israeli company. As stated in the TikTok video, Pepsi is an American company. No sources show that Pepsi has changed its can designs since March 29, 2023, before the war in Israel and Palestine. This proves that there was never a can that stated, "Do not fall for this deception." USAToday posted an article debunking the claim that reached a shocking 10,000 likes in the two weeks it was up; they also did research on the history of the can design and found the team that helped design the blue can, and there have since been updates to that design for any reason. This TikTok video is proven to be a spread of false and misinformation.
False
+4 votes
by Novice (980 points)

This claims that Pepsi has made changes to their can to be pro-Palestine. They also state in the video that Pepsi is an Israeli company. This was also shown on TikTok which is not the most reliable source because the public posts whenever and almost whatever they want. After doing further research I have learned that Pepsi is an American brand that fact-checks half of the claim then the other half is that Ive seen that Pepsi has done nothing to change their cans. In an article by CNN they said that Pepsi did change there can but for rebranding not for pro-Palestine, I could see how this could get confusing cause they did change there can but for a different reason. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2023/11/14/false-claim-pepsi-changed-its-design-amid-israel-war-fact-check/71455687007/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/28/business/pepsi-new-logo/index.html

by Novice (750 points)
+1
I agree with your point on how TikTok is a very unreliable source I think it almost encourages people to spread misinformation. I was skeptical to hear that Pepsi was potentially chaining their can for a political movement and after looking at your fact check I can be sure to know that this is a load of crap.
+2 votes
by Apprentice (1.3k points)

This post has claimed that PepsiCo, an Israeli company, has changed their logo to be pro-Palestine in order to avoid facing backlash from those who are boycotting anti-Palestine companies. This is false.

Firstly, PepsiCo is an American company (PepsiCo), so the claim that it is an Israeli company is not true. The first attack Hamas made on Israel was on October 7, 2023 - which then started this "newer," more internet spread conflict. A post made on X using similar images of the same Pepsi can was posted on August 17, 2023. Because there is previous evidence of this photo, it proves that this can of Pepsi was not made by an "Israeli company" with the intent to avoid boycotting. TikTok is also not a reliable source, so users should tread lightly when getting information from that platform.

by Apprentice (1.9k points)
Is there more information on the Pepsi design including the Palestinian imagery even if it was manufactured in August of 2023? Is X the only platform in which it is featured?
+2 votes
by Novice (610 points)
The claim presented in this Tik Tok is false. Pepsi is based in Harrison New York. It is not an Israeli company like the post claims. The post also claims that Pepsi has created a new pro Palestine can. I found CNN article which explains that Pepsi recently updated their logo for rebranding purposes. However, I was unable to find any information about any Palestine themed can released by Pepsi. The source of this claim was Tik Tok which is a source filled with lots of misinformation. I found the authors Linkedin which shows that she has a background in finance. The author has no experience in journalism. The only other news source reporting on this issue is USA Today. They claim the post that is circulating about Pepsi cans is false. USA Today also asserts that the image in the post is from before the Israel-Hamas war.

https://www.pepsico.com/our-stories/press-release/pepsico-supports-associates-and-communities-in-israel-and-gaza

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2023/11/14/false-claim-pepsi-changed-its-design-amid-israel-war-fact-check/71455687007/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/28/business/pepsi-new-logo/index.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidra-maqsood-412612145/?originalSubdomain=in
by Apprentice (1.9k points)
I agree with the important factor which is that Pepsi is an American company, and while Pepsi has been going through a graphic design re-brand, there seems to be a lack of information regarding the origins of the Palestinian soda-can.  USAToday article mainly sources their information from other social media platforms, however, it is a reliable source and there is hardly much information about the situation despite the press release from Pepsi itself.
by Apprentice (1.5k points)
I agree with this fact check and appreciate its depth. I think that you do a good job proving the invalidity of the claims of this statement and it is obvious how false they are. In your research, you prove how dangerous the freedom of social media posting truly can be. The portion in which you shared the author's lack of reputable background with LinkedIn is especially notable. Good job using your journalistic skills!
+1 vote
by Novice (720 points)
This post claims that Pepsi has made changes to their cans and logo to be Pro-Palestine. Also, the video claims that Pepsi is an Israeli company. To start, this claim originated on tiktok which is a very unreliable source since anyone can make a video claiming anything they please. After doing minimal research, it was clear to find that Pepsi is an American company and not Israeli. In an article produced by Pepsi themselves, I found that they did make a change to their logo, however it was not for Pro-Palestine purposes. Overall, this is a false claim.

https://www.pepsico.com/our-stories/press-release/pepsi-unveils-a-new-logo-and-visual-identity-marking-the-iconic-brands-next-era03282023#:~:text=March%2028%2C%202023-,PEPSI%C2%AE%20Unveils%20a%20New%20Logo%20and%20Visual%20Identity,the%20Iconic%20Brand's%20Next%20Era&text=PURCHASE%2C%20N.Y.%2C%20March%2028%2C,globe%20logo%20in%2014%20years.
False
+1 vote
by Apprentice (1.5k points)

Pepsi DID NOT unveil its new design to deter consumers from boycotting the brand. Rather, the new logo was revealed to mark the company's 125th anniversary and to integrate the Pepsi Zero Sugar in the logo. The rebrand was announced on March 28, 2023 by Pepsi themselves in a press release

Additionally, the TikTok video showed a video of the can itself, which was not made by Pepsi themselves. The design was created by the independent digital media & marketing studio Dragon Studios. They have a video showcasing the can's design being created and being made into the can shown in the original TikTok video.

Exaggerated/ Misleading
+1 vote
by Apprentice (1.9k points)

Pepsi is an American company founded in New Bern, NC. Their affiliation to the conflict in the Middle East can be found in their press statement stating "the PepsiCo Foundation has pledged a $1 million donation to humanitarian organizations that are focused on urgent relief efforts in Israel and Gaza." (https://www.pepsico.com/our-stories/press-release/pepsico-supports-associates-and-communities-in-israel-and-gaza) 

The company has not changed its product design in an effort to avoid boycotts, as this soda-can design pre-dates the current war. This design can be found posted on Twitter in August 2023 (https://twitter.com/V_Palestine20/status/1692142907082351070). 

TikTok and Instagram are unreliable sources for finding information regarding international affairs, especially with no outside sources. This video is aimed to mislead audiences and spread disinformation about the company. 

False
+1 vote
by Novice (750 points)
This is misinformation and has no credible source to back up its claim. Tik Tok is known to spread false information just to gain views and this is one of those situations. Pepsi is an American company with no ties to Palestine and in the video she calls Pepsi.Co an Israeli company which is also not true. Pepsi was founded in North Carolina in the 80's. When looking for information on this video I came across USA Today and they pointed out that the logo change had taken place on March 28th when the war in Israel didn't start until October. After looking into it I would say that this claim is incorrect.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2023/03/28/new-pepsi-logo-cans/11535642002/

https://www.pepsico.com/our-stories/press-release/pepsi-unveils-a-new-logo-and-visual-identity-marking-the-iconic-brands-next-era03282023

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