In fact, this is the biggest product and design overhaul undertaken by Diet Coke in 36 years. As well as a redesigned logo, which tweaks some of the famous cursive font elements the brand is known for, Diet Coke has also launched four new flavours. These include: twisted mango, feisty cherry, zesty blood orange and ginger lime.
The new flavours will be packaged in regular 12-ounce cans, as well as what Diet Coke refers to as "new sleek cans". On the shelf, these new cans will appear as tall and thin variants.
Leading the rebrand is the ad campaign slogan "Because I can". It's an assertive, bold claim that reflects a confident approach for Diet Coke; and one that flies in the face of recent falling sales.
The new branding as it appears on old 12-ounce cans
“This visual evolution elevates the brand to a more contemporary space, while still using at its foundation the recognizable core brand visual assets,” says James Sommerville, vice president, Coca-Cola global design.
Over on Twitter, senior principal at the food industry consultancy Technomic, David Henkes, noted some of the challenges that have been facing Diet Coke over recent years.
Interesting facelift for an iconic brand. Still, soft drink sales are losing out to other types of beverages and getting young consumers back will be a challenge https://t.co/3TssKb01lXJanuary 10, 2018
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It's a shrewd observation. With its slimmed down cans and clever, colourful banners that make 12-ounce cans appear thinner than they actually are, there are hopes that the packaging will be Insta-ready. North America's group director for Diet Coke, Rafael Accedo, adds that the new look will be "more authentic" and "more gender neutral and diverse".
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On top of this, the new flavours are geared towards younger consumers, who are apparently craving alternatives to the classic Diet Coke taste. Don't worry though if you prefer the original Diet Coke taste: it's remaining unchanged.
Expect to see the launch of the new Diet Coke brand rolling out towards the end of January 2018.
Dom Carter is a freelance writer who specialises in art and design. Formerly a staff writer for Creative Bloq, his work has also appeared on Creative Boom and in the pages of ImagineFX, Computer Arts, 3D World, and .net. He has been a D&AD New Blood judge, and has a particular interest in picture books.
