Fanta, The Coca-Cola Company’s beloved soft drink brand, has made a bold move to reinvigorate its market presence through a recent global rebranding initiative. What is the goal? To create a unified and playful brand identity that appeals to customers of all ages. The Coca-Cola design team collaborated with the renowned creative agency Jones Knowles Ritchie on this rebrand. They set out on a mission to give Fanta a new and cohesive image that truly reflected its vibrant and playful personality.
The previous branding of Fanta was deemed too limited and aimed primarily at a younger audience, severely limiting its appeal to a broader demographic. Recognising the need for a transformation, Rapha Abreu, Fanta’s global vice president of design at The Coca-Cola Company, acknowledged that the brand required a fresh perspective. Abreu emphasised the importance of introducing the concept of fun and play to a younger audience. The goal of the rebranding was not to discard the old identity but rather to build upon it and create a logo and visual language that accurately represented the brand’s wide range of flavors. Thus, the mission was set to create an identity that truly embodied fun while also appealing to the young at heart.
The new Fanta logo features a simplified design, with the lettering neatly arranged and the shadows removed. What’s noteworthy is that the iconic orange roundel and leaf have been deliberately removed from the logo. This intentional omission signifies that Fanta encompasses flavours beyond just orange. By eliminating the association with a specific fruit, Fanta has positioned itself to introduce a wider variety of flavours in the future without the need for significant changes to its branding. This strategic shift enables Fanta to expand its offerings and promise exciting and unexpected flavour adventures.
Alongside the new logo, dynamic graphics such as diamonds and lightning bolts accompany the new visual identity. The vibrant color palette of the new design is inspired by the various flavours of Fanta, ranging from zesty orange to refreshing lime green, enticing blue, and delightful pink. These design elements visually capture the excitement and joy that Fanta offers, evoking a sense of adventure and playfulness associated with the brand.
The rebranding efforts go beyond visual transformation, setting the stage for future opportunities and growth. The simplified logo and packaging design enhances Fanta’s adaptability to changing consumer trends and preferences. This means that the brand can explore new flavors and packaging formats and even expand into the health and wellness segment by introducing low-sugar and natural options. Additionally, the adoption of a unified global identity brings significant advantages. Previously, Fanta sported different visual identities across various regions, leading to fragmented brand representation. Now, with a consistent logo worldwide, Fanta stands shoulder to shoulder with other renowned Coca-Cola brands, creating a powerful and unified front in the global beverage market. This harmonization creates opportunities for expansion into new markets and collaborations with strategic partners, ensuring Fanta’s continued success and relevance on a global scale.
With its newfound global identity, Fanta aims to make waves in the international market, becoming a formidable competitor among other global brands. The rebrand represents a refreshing twist for the soft drink brand, injecting new energy and excitement into its image. By embracing its playful nature and appealing to a broader audience, Fanta is poised to solidify its position as a beloved and enduring soft drink for generations to come.
References:
Bamford, A. (2023) How JKR designed a global identity to give Fanta back its ‘pop’, Design Week. Available at: https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/3-april-7-april-2023/jkr-global-identity-fanta/ (Accessed: 12 July 2023).
Incharaprasad (2023) Fanta’s rebranding: A refreshing New look for a classic beverage, Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@incharaprasad27/fantas-rebranding-a-refreshing-new-look-for-a-classic-beverage-59979bdc7b54 (Accessed: 12 July 2023).
Tom Ravenscroft |4 April 2023 Leave a comment (2023) Fanta rebrands with ‘truly playful’ universal identity, Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2023/04/04/fanta-rebrand-global-identity-coca-cola-jones-knowles-ritchie/ (Accessed: 12 July 2023).
