Pepsi Spec Ad – Can in a Cola Splash
Personal project, 2024 – simulated with Houdini FLIP, rendered with Octane Render in Cinema 4D, compositing in After Effects.
About the project
This personal project from 2024 is a spec ad for Pepsi Zero Sugar – created without a brief, in the style of a classic beverage commercial. An ice-cold can covered in condensation falls into cola and triggers a crown-shaped splash that rises up around it.
The clip, just under three seconds long, was a test with Houdini FLIP Fluids – one of my first. Its counterpart with the same subject is the Pepsi spec ad with X-Particles.
Technique
The splash was simulated with Houdini's FLIP solver, with the can acting as a collision object that displaces the liquid and drives it upwards. The simulation was then brought into Cinema 4D and assembled with the can, lighting and environment.
Rendering was done with Octane Render – with condensation droplets on the can, warm backlight and a shallow depth of field. Compositing and colour grading in After Effects gave the clip its final commercial look.
More stills
