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Despite a tenuous connection to both soccer and fashion, Pepsi has unveiled a limited-edition menswear-focused capsule collection timed to capitalize on World Cup fever. And this is much more upscale than a Pepsi logo slapped on a tee. Instead, Pepsi's grabbing at some fashion and street cred with $175 Original Penguin windbreakers, $365 Del Toro sneakers, and $75 Goodlife tees, all featuring patterns designed by street artists in Pepsi's logo colors. The line is available through big-time retailers like Bloomingdale's, Colette in Paris, and Liberty of London.
What do the items in the Live For Now collection have to do with soccer? Not much, though there is a baseball cap with a soccer ball on it, Businessweek notes. They suggest that Pepsi's strategy is more about competing with World Cup official sponsor Coca Cola and figuring out how to "target the fashion crowd subtly."
· Why Is Pepsi Getting Into Fashion? [Businessweek]
· Pepsi Capsule Collection [Official Site]
· Pepsi Project [Bloomingdale's]