PepsiCo Beverages Turkey has signed an agreement with Rexam Beverage Can to design a can for Pepsi Istanbul’s new limited-edition lemon and mint twist on the classic soda. The promotional cans and flavors are seasonal products for summer 2011.

The 33cl cans were designed by Hülya Avsar, one of country’s most famous celebrities and a face of local Pepsi campaigns. Cans are produced at Rexam’s Manisa Plant in Turkey, which worked closely with Pepsi to produce the sparkling varnish technique, says the Packaging Digest.

The effect of the varnish completes the can’s design with a night scene of a city skyline featuring sparkling lights and stars. This technique is available for the first time in Europe and catches the customer’s eye, pointing out the Pepsi cans on shelves among other products.

«With Pepsi Istanbul only being available for the summer, it is crucial for us to have a distinctive and eye catching design for the cans so that all Pepsi fans will see it and want to try the new flavor,» explained Gözde Kütük, Pepsi assistant brand manager. «The shimmering effect maximizes the association with superstar Hülya Avsar, giving the cans a strong on-shelf impact and making it a unique and special experience for consumers.»

Nazey Erdilek, from Rexam Beverage Can Turkey, comments on Rexam’s relationship with Pepsi: «We have a long standing relationship with Pepsi supporting them with their regular orders whilst additionally helping to launch new and promotional products. We were pleased to be able to take the idea of using the Sparkling Varnish to Pepsi and to see how great the finished cans look.»

Pepsi Istanbul cans are sold exclusively in Migros Group supermarkets in Turkey.

PepsiCo started to pay more attention to its flagship product this summer un the U.S. and launched its’ main rival challenging campaign. Coca-Cola also changes its Diet Coke can’s design in the USA for this fall.