Cola cans used to have two large logos on them - one on each side of the can, with the ingredients placed between the two logos (at least this is how I remember it).

Now, presumably to maximize brand impact, cans like Mountain Dew have one huge logo (much bigger than before), one secondary logo, an the ingredients list.  And as I drank a can of Mountain Dew the other day I was struck by the perfect placement of the logo - as I drank the can (I’m right handed), the huge logo was perfectly placed so as to not be covered by my hand and to display for everyone to see.  I hadn’t really noticed before, and I figured all cans were that way (a great strategy!).

So I’ve been paying attention lately, and it seems the logo placement relative to the spout is completely random.  I have a can sitting on my desk right now, and when I take a drink I proudly display the Nutrition Facts and ingredients list to everyone, with the Mountain Dew logo obscured by my hand.  Other times the logo is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes, so it’s not as simple as left-handed and right-handed cans (though that’d be fun).

Maybe it’s really difficult to place the top at the same orientation on the can every time.  But I wouldn’t think it’s an insurmountable challenge.  Seems like it’s one of those cases where the company (PepsiCo) spent millions on market research and package design but failed to notice the simple things, like how to maximize brand exposure based on how people actually use the product.