DESIGNY
Design Firm Conquers Coke Problem, Gets Award
Thanks in part to anthropomorphic polar bears and overcaffeinated graphic designs, "Coke's identity had become cluttered, uninspiring and easy to ignore." But with the help of "identity and package design firm" Turner Duckworth, the world's most recognizable sugar water brand received a fresh and clean new look that won a first ever Design Grand Prix award at Cannes Lions. The firm's "iconization of heritage" concept included a streamlined aluminum bottle that were based on Coca-Cola's signature glass bottles, a redesign of the cans, new signs/POS, and even graphics for delivery trucks. See some of the mods after the jump or download the full case study here: (PDF doc).
by ANIMAL on June 25, 2008
Comments (60)
Christ, I never thought I would find myself saying that I actually like something Coke has done. It's absolutely superb.
Posted by Mike Laurie | June 26, 2008 4:24 AM
Its genius, because it's true. People will remember simplicity in a world where mass design and scattering of un-necessary objects which make a product 'more attractive', because it's simply unique.
Posted by Ryan Goodwin | June 26, 2008 5:49 PM
stumble!!
Posted by jerry | June 26, 2008 6:57 PM
Love the bottles, but the new cans look, to me, like the much older cans. Are they really that original, or are they just a return to the classic design? Not saying they look bad, just not new. But maybe that's the point. Either way, the new stuff is clean and precise.
But I really want to track down those aluminum bottles...
Posted by TurboFool | June 26, 2008 7:13 PM
Hai is that Target brand cola?
LOL j/k, like the simplicity,
however hoping they have some good shine to the can, needs a slight gradient :)
Posted by petemayo | June 26, 2008 7:22 PM
aluminum degrades faster than plastic.
i think that's a good move
Posted by kasia | June 26, 2008 7:24 PM
Simplicity is Elegance. I think that any product benefits from clean organized packaging.
Posted by Kyle DeFacis | June 26, 2008 7:55 PM
I really, really like the bottle designs.
the can and cup designs just look retro. They're great, don't get me wrong, but instead of saying "iconization of heritage", they could have said "retro look", because that's all they've done. Went back to their stylings from the 60s and 70s. =P
But, like I said, I love it. =]
Posted by Jonathan | June 26, 2008 8:03 PM
Nice!
And, don't quote me, but if they went with aluminum bottles instead of plastic, wouldn't they chill faster?
Posted by C | June 26, 2008 8:47 PM
This is so true coming from an advertising major. The more attractive the design, the better of a chance people will remember it on the next trip to the supermarket.
Posted by Recruitment Oursourcing | June 27, 2008 12:15 PM
The design on the bottles and truck are spectacular! I agree tho, with the comment about the design of the cans. It just looks like the old cans. I'm not sure that would really grab my attention in the stores among all the other stacks of cans.
I'm not too keen on the use of aluminum for the bottles either. I hate that metallic taste of soda in cans. I much prefer my soda in the plastic bottles.
Being a Diet Coke drinker myself, I'm curious as to what they have done with the design of that.
Posted by RetroDog | June 27, 2008 2:16 PM
Web 2.0 Coke logos, bottles and cans. I love their new look.
Posted by Bull3t | June 28, 2008 10:44 AM
I really really want a coke now.......
Posted by Sarah | June 28, 2008 12:48 PM
I think these designs are great, although im suprised the chose to focus on Coca Cola... its not like they are struggling is it :P great designs though...
Posted by James | June 28, 2008 1:39 PM
I live near the coke headquarters in Atlanta, and they were giving out free diet cokes and coke zeroes that had the new bottles. they look cool, but they feel smaller and are alot colder on your hands when you hold them.
Personally I prefer the old bottles and cans.
Posted by Claire | June 28, 2008 4:14 PM
Clean simple design usually does the ticket. I'm happy to see that it was done really well!
Posted by Affordable Web Design | June 28, 2008 6:59 PM
They've discovered that Millennials are nostalgic for eras they've never encountered. How romantic. Must have been watching Mad Men. Maybe the people reaching for a Pepsi during the aftermath of the mid nineties artistic purge will think they were reaching for coke, because it looks more like something they would have enjoyed, had they been exactly as they are now, fifteen years ago. I hate advertising.
Lovely cans though, and it did make me want a Cola.
Posted by ya, nah | June 29, 2008 3:49 AM
What they've done is a simple, effective, but less know nowadays branding technique in the field of design which is symbolizing the design. Turning a functional element into a memorable symbol, and here they chose the coke bottle.
The designs look pretty great, except the fact that they proposed metal bottles (and they use this crappy to the feel metal, slippery, feels cheap) and the fact that they wrote on the bottle the fl oz (see on the truck) and that takes away from the concept of symbol
Posted by eydryan | June 29, 2008 5:49 AM
This is a great design. Makes me really want a Pepsi.
Not the design -- I just don't like Coke.
Posted by Ryan | June 29, 2008 6:24 AM
Just what we needed, a better way to market crap. I guess it works, look at all the sheeple who got all thirsty for some sugar water looking at these bottles. Bravo!
Posted by Bapudi | June 29, 2008 9:23 AM
Drink Mexican Coke, it's the real thing.
Posted by Joe | June 29, 2008 10:40 PM
woa wanna coke
www.dimpmexico.com
Posted by Pedro | June 30, 2008 2:27 AM
I had a similar can from the corner shop this afternoon ... lol, but I really like the bottles :-)
Posted by celina | June 30, 2008 10:39 AM
Marketing is a symptom of a diseased spirit.
Posted by shandooga | June 30, 2008 1:28 PM
It's ok! but not interesting
Posted by Karvai | June 30, 2008 1:50 PM
Having an major icon of western civilization (a real honest-to-goodness returnable 24oz. glass Coca-Cola bottle) that a whole generation of people have never seen as symbol of your company poses one HUGE problem. Although this new aluminum can shaped like a bottle doesn't solve that problem, it is a big step in the right direction.
Posted by KCMO designer | June 30, 2008 7:42 PM
"Simplicity - if it doesn't add anything, take it away."
Ok then Coke really needs to drop the word "classic" from all of it's labels. It only serves to remind people of the 1985 marketing disaster that gave them the reason for adding it.
Posted by KCMO designer | June 30, 2008 7:53 PM
"genius"?
revolutionary thinking is genius. redesigning the fucking coke bottle.
shut the fuck up with "genius" unless it is.
thanks.
Posted by gah. | June 30, 2008 10:52 PM
nice look! good stumble!
Posted by BLah | July 1, 2008 7:20 PM
I'm surprised and amazed that someone would actually say the name of the son of man, son of the Holy God, creator of the universe and maker of all that is seen and unseen in a coke advertisement. My, my my. This person must really like this ad.
Posted by danabegoode | July 2, 2008 10:55 AM
sumble!!! uh.......I have never scene any of these campains....at least not here in houston....
Posted by Mundain Monstre | July 2, 2008 11:02 AM
Is that 8.5oz can going to replace the 12oz can?
Posted by Darrell | July 2, 2008 7:32 PM
Really nice and simple design.
Posted by P7 | July 3, 2008 4:37 AM
I couldn't give less of a f*&k.
Posted by b denton | July 3, 2008 9:27 PM
And how much did they pay these "genius's" to tell them that they should use the old design? Doesn't seem like they did much "designing"...but it could be that I'm just jealous of all the money they probably got paid just to take away distracting elements...
Posted by Jim | July 7, 2008 12:58 AM
Okay but...
Is the product any good?
Does its Taste stand out in the crowd?
Or is this another Pseudo-Soda Clone from the past?
Marketing is only as good as the Product.
I like the Sweet Soda from the Good Ol' Days!
Such Essense! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Keep ur Canz Cool... Joey A.
Posted by Joey Alizio Jr | July 7, 2008 2:28 AM
STUMBLE
Posted by arianne | July 7, 2008 3:47 AM
Was there something new?
Posted by John Smith | July 7, 2008 5:07 AM
I must say, these are some awesome looking brand designs for Coke. I especially enjoyed the designs for the semi trucks, ingenious! Since they won the design award, will this mean these designs will be used in public?
Posted by Jeffro2pt0 | July 7, 2008 5:41 AM
Same shit better wrapping , people guzzling down this crap and designers trying to scream with color. waste of talent selling something thats only good for toothache and diabetes.
Posted by Hans Petter | July 7, 2008 8:04 AM
Over-hyped crap. What can you expect from neo-bauhausian, bland, Ikea fed designers who earn too much for too little thought and work. Sensuality has left design it seems.
Posted by gc | July 8, 2008 3:37 AM
I don't get it.
They went back to how coke was originally designed (don't see the brilliance there) and then for the other marketing they stole apples silhouette ideas.
i dont get it
Posted by whatevs | July 8, 2008 5:49 AM
The bottle that refreshes....and recycles! Great job!
Posted by Bright Idea Girl | July 9, 2008 1:10 AM
Brilliant work. Who doesn't appreciate proper use of whitespace?
Posted by fragileheart | July 10, 2008 12:25 AM
beautiful! wish the original coke was inside - it was not so sweet and an edge that made it such a pleasure on a hot day.
Posted by rebecca | July 13, 2008 5:23 PM
They didn't steal Apple's silhouette idea, because it wasn't Apple's to begin with. There is no "new" design, simply a manipulation of past design. This is Plakatstil all over again.
Posted by Cindy | July 14, 2008 6:28 PM
It's remarkable how strong the simple images are, most noticeably when compared with the old cans. I love the ingenuity of the tow truck on the side of the truck...nice.
Posted by kayleen | July 15, 2008 1:55 PM
Great packaging.. but if they want people to actually start consuming this stuff again they need to take out the corn syrup. back to pure cane sugar.
Why would anyone knowledgeably want to consume burnt corn syrup? Think about it.
Posted by Pete | July 15, 2008 10:44 PM
I like it - I like it alot!
Posted by Robin | July 16, 2008 12:39 PM
Wow, looove the new design. I'm all about simplicity. I approve!
Posted by Erica DeWolf | July 20, 2008 9:42 PM
Aluminum not only chills and biodegrades faster but the "taste" of product in aluminum is a myth. All aluminum cans are lined with a thin coat of plastic (a bag if you will); the product inside never comes into contact with aluminum and there is no flavor difference :-)
Posted by Cooper | July 22, 2008 7:49 PM
Nice post. Simplicity wins out.
Posted by Jennifer | July 24, 2008 4:55 AM
Thats great what they did with the big trucks!
Any word on if the aluminum bottles are any more or less recycleable/reusuable then glass or do they just look cool?
Posted by Rider | July 24, 2008 5:07 PM
One of the first lessons learned in ad design is to never use black for food/bev packaging. Black is associated with death. Doesn't matter though; enough sugar and caffeine . . . and you're closer to being a goner anyway.
Posted by Limner | July 24, 2008 6:49 PM
i loved the new coke cans when they came out, i think they look a lot cooler than the old ones. i really like the look of the bottles also, but i haven't seen any. It kinda sucks that they're only 8.5 oz though...... well, what can you do?
Posted by jehall | July 26, 2008 11:50 PM
Nice, good job coca-cola!
Posted by Lemming1337 | August 4, 2008 2:59 PM
OMFG. ALL OF YOU HAVE SUCCUMBED TO ADVERTISING DESIGN AND PRODUCT DESIGN. ITS THE SAME DAMN THING! JUST CAUSE THEY CHANGE THE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE DOESN'T MEAN A DAMN THING!
ok listen. I Like coke and all. Its a solid company to invest in, and I buy the product. The soda giants pay millions upon millions of dollars to remake their designs every half decade to appease to the general public and stay current. Get over it. It isn't new. It isn't remarkable. Most of all, it isn't a substantial leap in design. I can't believe this won any type of award for design.
Posted by hirsch, | August 6, 2008 12:07 AM
Gotta love the one with the lorry towing the giant bottle, great stuff. You get a stumble my friend.
Cheers
Posted by Bebo Darren | August 6, 2008 6:14 PM
All I want to say is, I really miss the 16 oz glass bottles. Coke never tasted so good as it did coming out of glass...no aluminum after taste. Glass bottles look really classy, too.
Posted by Shirley Gear | August 25, 2008 8:45 PM
bull, because simple is now you all like it. sway with whats cool you ants.
Posted by lol | September 1, 2008 6:49 PM