How PepsiCo Is Scaling AI Personalization to Fuel Cross-Sells and Subscriptions at Gatorade
PepsiCo has continued investing in its AI-generated designs to boost personalization efforts for its Gatorade brand.
Since applying generative AI design capabilities for its squeeze bottles in 2024, the company has seen increased consumer engagement, and the insights gathered have helped fuel innovation.
Data insights at PepsiCo have pointed to an increased expectation for brands to design products that meet consumers' unique interests and lifestyles, Leon Imas, VP of design, tells CGT.
"We meet that need with authentic personalization, and AI serves as a powerful enabler that helps us unlock at the scale Gatorade requires," he says.
The company has already generated 215,000 unique designs through the effort, and the data from user-generated inputs has led to enhanced product recommendations, seasonal collections, new innovations and exclusive drops, says Xavi Cortadellas, general manager for Gatorade enhancers and athletic equipment.
It has also helped the brand cross-sell, particularly for its Gatorade enhancers line as those who have purchased a custom Gatorade bottle will likely be interested in hydration powders and consumables.
PepsiCo expanded the personalization strategy to include customizable stainless steel bottles in 2025, which saw an 11% conversation rate, which is over four times higher than the industry average, says Cortadellas.
"The expansion required us to identify new manufacturing and printing capabilities to ensure the artwork, patterns and colors selected by consumers were printed with hi-res quality on our bottles," he adds. "We have experimented with different substrate materials and printing techniques to achieve high-quality results."
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The company plans to scale this to more bottle types to create a one-stop personalization shop. So far, this has led to a boost in Gatorade ID subscriptions and a 600% year-over-year increase in custom squeeze bottle holiday sales.
"We see a big opportunity to expand the surfaces, channels and merchandise our athletes can personalize, such as iconic Gatorade Sport towels, coolers, shareable social content and myriad other items," says Imas. "Our goals are to broaden the scope and create new opportunities for users to flex their creativity and design."
