Coca-Cola Overhauls Brand Identity: Zero Sugar Drops Black, Unifies Portfolio

Coca-Cola, perhaps the world’s most recognisable brand, has launched a new global visual identity which brings everything in its lineup closer to the masterbrand centre.

In particular, the new look sees Coca-Cola Zero Sugar drop the black typeface entirely. Instead, only the ribbon effect on cans is black, while plastic bottles get a black bottle cap. The ‘Zero Sugar’ wordmark has been made larger and gets a new typeface.

Similar changes have been applied to flavoured versions including vanilla, cherry and more. The changes also affect all Coca-Cola marketing collateral.

This new look is rolling out across Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

To support the global rollout, Coca‑Cola has also introduced a new immersive “Brand Centre” alongside tech-powered “Design Intelligence” tools to be used by internal design and marketing teams, as well as the wider network of agency partners. Coca-Cola said the new tools support “governance, craft, and consistency at scale.”

This specific redesign was crafted with help from London-based design agency JKR.

“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, 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.”

Rapha Abreu, global VP of design at The Coca‑Cola Company added, “For over a century, Coca‑Cola has been a global symbol of optimism and authenticity. Now, with one seamless visual identity, we can deliver one recognizable brand experience to consumers.”

The news has generated much chatter on LinkedIn and across the industry.

For Mikey Hart, creative director at branding and design agency Hulsbosch, the move forms part of a clear, long-term strategy for the brand. “It’s a migration strategy. It’s been clear for 10 years,” he told B&T. “After diversifying the portfolio — a red one, black one, green one depending on whether it’s Stevia or Zero Sugar — it recently collapsed the portfolio… With this latest design, it’s doubling down on distinctiveness and Coke-ness. It’s using the ribbon as a mechanic to navigate the portfolio. It’s revitalised and thought about the fonts that connect everything together — above-the-line, below-the-line and the can.”

The move, added Hart, helps Coca-Cola reduce its associations with sugar, reflecting a trend in consumer preferences. “The future focus for Coke isn’t sugar. If you think about the last ten years and connect the dots, it’s clear to me that [Coca-Cola] knows it’s going to die if it’s about sugar. From a naming perspective, it’s moved from Coca-Cola Zero to Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Now, it’s migrated the design to look the same but different. It’s a migration story. They’re slowly taking everyone on the journey. It’s no accident that it’s blurred the lines [between the different types of Coca-Cola]. It went from Coke Zero being black to the latest design with black writing on a red pack and it went from Coke Zero to Coke Zero Sugar. They’ve killed Diet Coke as a brand. You can’t buy a Diet Coke, it’s just a silver can with Coca-Cola on it. I think Coca-Cola will just be Coke Zero. If you look at the history, with New Coke, they fucked with it too much. They took consumers for granted. Now, they’re really focused on migrating away from sugar and how they’re going to land and expand for the future.”