One year after implementing the ‘One Brand’ Strategy and changing its packaging design, Coca-Cola unveiled a new series of graphics that seek to strengthen its strategy of linking its products and showing the characteristics of all four Trademark Coke brands – Original, Zero, Light and Life – at an event in Mexico City, which will be the first first market to adopt these new graphics starting this month (May).
The new design is a collaboration between the Coca-Cola Global Design team, led by Mr. Sommerville, and six global design agencies: BVD, Stockholm; Tatil, Rio de Janeiro; SDL, Stockholm; Moniker, San Francisco; Hey Studio, Barcelona; and United Design, San Francisco.
This new ‘One Brand’ system features the 4 known colors of each product: red, black, gray, and green, unified by the famous Red Disc introduced in 1930 and redesigned in 1947 by D’Arcy’s creative director. Archie lee
This is the first time in the 130-year history of the company that a visual identity system has been shared across not only all media, but all Trademark products.
According to Marcos de Quinto, Chief Marketing Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, the Coca-Cola Red Disc was chosen as the design element capable of uniting the trademark visually since it has become a symbol of “great taste, uplift, and refreshment”, but honestly, does anyone see that?
I know it is just an argument to justify and sell the design, but for me this circle represents history and nostalgia instead of freshness, and I think that that is what they really wanted to communicate because even those ads from the new campaign have the vintage mood with the color treatment and the styling.
Another feature of this new packaging is the inclusion of the benefits of each product on front of pack to make easier for consumers to choose their right Coca-Cola, which has always been a problem even with the past designs, so I really like that they are now including in a more visible way these descriptions:
Coca-Cola Original Taste (or Classic in select markets)
Coca-Cola Light/Diet: Crisp Taste, No Calories
Coca-Cola Zero: Zero Sugar
Coca-Cola Life: Less Sugar, With Stevia Leaf Extract
And if you were wondering what is going to happen to Diet Coke (US version of Coca-Cola Light/Diet) the company is still thinking about how it will integrate Diet Coke into the ‘One Brand’ Strategy starting next year.
I don’t know why they decided to change the packaging so quickly, I still like the past Spain Version. Of course, it now looks more unified and the inclusion of each brand description on top of the can is perfect for consumers that still don’t know the difference between Zero and Light.
I’m not completely sure about the final result with the cans (I do like the bottles), maybe is the way they crop the circle and put the wordmark outside the red disc instead of letting it inside as in the advertisements, but I have to say that the first time I saw it I thought it was a kind of “Pray For Japan” edition and I can’t stop seeing it, perhaps I’m the only one that sees it, but I have to say it.
But well.. at least this is my f opinion
The Brand Inquirer / Worldwide Branding and Graphic Design News 