Why Not Peepsi?

Pepsi and Peeps are collaborating on a new drink that combines the taste of a Pepsi with the “pillowy-soft and sweet” marshmallow flavor of Peeps. The new cola is named “Pepsi x Peeps.”

Several bloggers are asserting that Pepsi should have named the drink “Peepsi.” Clever idea, but both Pepsi and Peeps were smart enough to avoid that.

Using the name “Peepsi” would dilute both the Pepsi and the Peeps trademarks. In layman’s terms, naming this product “Peepsi” would be the legal equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot because you would weaken your existing trademarks and provide a perfect example of how a competitor could legally get close to the Pepsi or Peeps trademarks.

For example, if “Peepsi” were the name of this product, how could Pepsi hold back a competitor from launching a Pepsii or a Pipsee product?

The first rule of branding should be “do no harm to your own brand.”