The Coca-Cola Company has reimagined its bottles and cans to improve its brand consistency and tap into its ‘iconic heritage’ – but some consumers have criticized the ‘indistinguishable’ designs across drink variants.
Design and branding agency The Superultrarare has developed the new packaging to draw upon the ‘iconicity’ of Coca-Cola by upfronting the company’s core assets – its red and white palette, Spencerian script, and well-known ‘Dynamic Ribbon’ and ‘Arden Square’ logos.
Also set to apply to retail environments, equipment and digital experiences, the rebrand is expected to ‘make every Coca-Cola execution look and feel unmistakably Coca-Cola’ while ensuring that each separate product remains recognizable.
The transition will apply across markets in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Coca-Cola clarifies that existing packaging materials – for example, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar multipacks with a red cardboard tray – will still circulate until the current stock is sold.
“Coca‑Cola is one of the most recognized brands in the world, and with that comes a responsibility to keep evolving,” said Arnab Roy, president of Coca‑Cola Global Category. “This refresh is about being clearer and more consistent in how we show up, wherever people experience our brand. By building on the things people already know and love, we’re creating a stronger foundation for growth while staying unmistakably Coca‑Cola.”
“For over a century, Coca‑Cola has been a global symbol of optimism and authenticity,” adds Rapha Abreu, global vice president of Design at The Coca‑Cola Company. “Now, with one seamless visual identity, we can deliver one recognizable brand experience to consumers.”
In a LinkedIn post, Abreu continues: “Our goal is simple: deliver an uncompromised Coca-Cola experience. No matter which Coca-Cola someone chooses, it should look and feel like Coca-Cola.
“You already know who we are. That doesn’t call for a redesign […] We’re doubling down on what makes us an icon recognized by billions, elevating the assets people know by heart.”
Branding agency JKR, which oversaw the redesigned brand identity, explained that it had “unified the brand across 200 markets globally and created a visual identity as singular and iconic as Coca-Cola itself.”
The company wrote on LinkedIn: “We brought back the Arden Square as the brand mark. Refined the bold red and white palette and the uplifting Dynamic Ribbon. Then brought them to life across products, experiences, and the world.
“So whether someone is reaching for Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, in New York or New Delhi, it will taste like Coca-Cola and look like Coca-Cola. Unmissable. Undeniable. Always iconic.”
Controversy
The rebrand will apply to Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and their flavour variants and multipacks. Variants such as Coca-Cola Light and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine will maintain their signature look.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar products will also continue to distinguish themselves through larger on-pack text, a black Dynamic Ribbon on cans and multipacks, and a black cap on plastic and glass bottles.
Some consumers have taken issue with the reimagined Zero Sugar cans. Whereas the old lineup used black text to differentiate itself from the standard drink, both product labels are now printed in white – leading some to describe the two variants as “indistinguishable”.
“Very annoying to us diabetics, for whom the difference is very important,” commented one social media user.
“As someone allergic to artificial sweeteners, different can designs/colours help me so much, especially at bars,” another wrote.
Others disagreed with the backlash, pointing out that the words ‘Zero Sugar’ still appear in large lettering beneath the Coca-Cola logo.
“You don’t see the big word ZERO on the side?” asked one user. “Nor the black strip instead of a white stripe?”
“I guess the ‘zero sugar’ font is too much reading for some folk,” another responded.
Sustainability
Coca-Cola highlights that all its new packaging will meet the same quality and safety requirements and will not affect its sustainability goals. For example, it emphasizes that its plastic bottles will still be made from 100% recycled plastic (excluding the cap and label).
In a recent deep dive into the plastic packaging initiatives of five leading international brands, Packaging Europe also explored Coca-Cola’s latest sustainable packaging progress. This includes the company’s 9.84% increase in virgin plastic since 2023, as well as its successful implementation of post-consumer recycling into 18% of its primary consumer plastic in 2024.
Coca-Cola has also reported that 99.94% of its packaging is designed to be recyclable, reusable or compostable, including 78.93% of its plastic portfolio.
Other developments from Coca-Cola include new single-serve mini cans for on-the-go consumption and short-term trials, alongside a recyclable, corrugated handle and glue dots to replace plastic shrink wrap for soft drink multipacks.
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