At Plastic Technologies Inc. (PTI), we’re not just a plastic packaging design company. We’re engineers, storytellers, and sometimes, even time travelers.

In one of the most iconic scenes from Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly gets served a sleek, futuristic bottle of Pepsi in the year 2015. The product was fictional. The bottle? Not anymore.

From Screen to Shelf: The Pepsi Perfect Project

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Back to the Future franchise, Pepsi decided to do something bold: take a packaging concept from film and bring it to life as a real PET bottle prototype. They turned to PTI to help make it happen.

Our challenge was to transform a futuristic design into a functional, manufacturable PET bottle that could withstand filling, capping, and global shipping, while staying true to the iconic silhouette fans remembered from the movie.

A Case Study in Custom Plastic Prototyping

This wasn’t just about making a pretty collector’s item. It was about using real-world engineering tools, CAD, simulation, and blow molding expertise, to deliver a product with commercial-grade quality.

We navigated:

  • Complex geometry
  • Custom color-matching for the signature “Pepsi blue”
  • Design-for-manufacturability (DFM) constraints
  • Full packaging assembly, including collector housing

In short, it was a perfect example of custom packaging prototyping at work.

When Packaging Becomes Pop Culture

The result was the Pepsi Perfect bottle—a fully functional piece of packaging that doubled as a collectible product design. It quickly became a fan favorite and still trades for high resale value online.

For PTI, it wasn’t just a fun project. It was a spotlight moment that underscored the value of agile design, creative collaboration, and packaging that connects emotionally with consumers.

Why It Matters to Today’s Brands

Whether you’re launching a new consumer product or reimagining legacy packaging, the principles behind the Pepsi Perfect project still apply:

  • Great packaging starts with great design.
  • Innovation lives at the intersection of function and storytelling.
  • And PET packaging technology isn’t just for commodity bottles, it can be the star of the show.

Looking for a plastic packaging design partner? PTI helps brands turn big ideas into real-world solutions—whether you’re launching a next-gen bottle or chasing the dream of becoming part of pop culture.

Learn more about our prototyping and packaging innovation services