PepsiCo Beverages North America is placing Pepsi Prebiotic Cola in more than 200 Drybar franchise locations nationwide throughout September, using the beauty-service channel as a sampling and trial vehicle for its lower-sugar, prebiotic-positioned CSD line.
The program runs through the end of September and gives all Drybar guests complimentary pours of Pepsi Prebiotic Cola in Original Cola and Cherry Vanilla during their appointments. Every guest also receives a take-home offer — 30% off Pepsi Prebiotic Cola on Amazon through October 31 using code PEPSIPREGAME. New Drybar clients who book online with the same code can access a $30 blowout service.
The Product Context
Pepsi Prebiotic Cola launched earlier in 2026 as PepsiCo's entry into the functional CSD segment, combining the brand's core cola flavor with prebiotic fiber and a reduced-sugar formula. The SKU sits at the intersection of two of the strongest currents in packaged beverages right now: consumer demand for gut-health functionality and the broader trade-down pressure pushing shoppers to reconsider premium energy and wellness drinks. For c-store retailers tracking dispensed beverage and packaged CSD trends, the Drybar activation offers a read on how PepsiCo is seeding trial outside traditional grocery and convenience channels before pushing harder at the cooler door.
Sara Garner, Senior Director of Marketing at Pepsi, framed the partnership around meeting consumers in existing rituals. "Drybar is the perfect partner because the blowout is already part of how so many guests get ready for what's next," she said. "Together, we're pairing a reimagined take on Pepsi Cola with a getting-ready ritual people already love."
What It Means for the Channel
For convenience operators, the Drybar play is less about the beauty channel itself and more about how PepsiCo is accelerating awareness for a SKU that will need robust cooler velocity to justify shelf placement. Prebiotic and probiotic beverages have been among the fastest-growing functional segments in the packaged cold vault, with c-store buyers fielding pitches from brands including Olipop and Poppi — both of which have landed distribution in regional and national chains. Pepsi Prebiotic Cola's brand equity gives it an immediate shelf-recognition advantage, but the category still requires consumer education at the point of sale.
WellBiz Brands CMO Michelle Devore noted that the fall calendar crunch makes the partnership timely: "A blowout can be the moment before a big night, or it can be the whole event. Enjoying a Pepsi Prebiotic Cola in the chair makes it feel like a treat instead of an errand."
For operators evaluating functional beverage assortment and planogram resets, the September-October discount window on Amazon also signals that PepsiCo is trying to build household pantry penetration — a common step before pushing for stronger single-serve velocity in convenience. Chains that have already allocated cold-vault space to the prebiotic cola set should monitor scan data closely through Q4 to gauge whether off-channel sampling programs like this one translate to forecourt pull-through.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
