Mountain Dew’s new logo returns to its Appalachian roots

Facing a fork in the road for Mountain Dew’s brand, Pepsi Co went back to the soda’s roots as a hill-born mixer for moonshine.

A rolling river. A burst of sunshine. Mountains. Evergreens. One stray citrus leaf. In some ways, the new Mountain Dew logo and brand system looks more like an advertisement for the National Parks than a soft drink, and it marks a massive departure from the razor sharp logo the brand has used since 2009. 

The new wordmark spells out the brand’s full name again, with curves that flare the M in “Mountain” like a classic boot-cut jean. A new shock of yellow outlines the words—I’m told that yellow captures the “refreshment” of citrus, though it also works in color tones from the sun. In the backdrop? An intricately detailed natural vista.