After months of industry teasers, Coca-Cola today launched its new, worldwide packaging design, touted as the most significant design change the 130 year history of the world’s favourite carbonated beverage.
The new design was inspired by the Red Disc symbol used in Coca-Cola marketing campaigns since the 1930s.
The significance of the redesign is that for the first time ever, all Coca-Cola variants are packaged in a red can.
Until the change Coke Zero was packaged in black, while the classic Diet Coke was always packaged in silver.
Speaking today at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, Coca-Cola global head of design James Sommerville took invited media through the creative process that led to the new design, and explained the challenge of getting away from recent design thinking.
“One thing that we were mindful of was that we wanted to put out own stamp on Coca-Cola… but things have changed… it’s not about rainbow colour effects, it’s about being true to our brand, and seeing if we can nuture that and present it in new ways,” he said.
“So I went back to what made this organisation great.
Mr Sommerville revealed that he took his inspiration from Coca-Cola’s Visual Design Guide 1970, borrowing from the simplicity of the graphic work which he said was “way ahead of its time”.
Coca-Cola South Pacific marketing director Lisa Winn explained that one of the reasons behind the new design and the global One Brand strategy was to strengthen the brand’s iconic colour.
“Over the years with the launch of Diet Coke and other varieties like Coke Zero we have drifted away from ‘Coca-Cola red’. It’s our signature colour that is synonymous with great taste and refreshment,” she said.
“We realised we were in danger of losing our iconic colour in a sea of other colours like silver, black and green, and we knew we needed to reclaim it as an icon of our brand.
“That’s one of the primary ideas behind the new design and the global ‘One Brand’ strategy.”
Ms Winn said the company would engage in an ‘above-the-line’ marketing campaign this year to drive consumer awareness of the design change.
