Diet Coke design dissected

Packaging World:
What was your role in the development and implementation of the limited-edition Diet Coke can for fall?

William White:
I oversaw a team that led the integrated thinking and strategy to create this limited-edition visual identity and package for the brand.

What is the “unique voice of Diet Coke,” i.e., its brand proposition?
Diet Coke is a brand for individuals everywhere living extraordinary lives. We created this new package in a nod to those consumers as we entered the new fall season.

How does the new design reflect that brand proposition?The new can design is the latest evolution of the brand’s “Stay Extraordinary” campaign. The stylish new look for this limited-edition Diet Coke package is a reflection of the self-assured, confident, and aspirational people who enjoy Diet Coke every day.

Why did you feel a new can design would be appropriate for fall?
Fall is a time for new looks and renewed energy, and Diet Coke’s new can design gives an uplift that celebrates the season.

What are the challenges of working with a very well recognized package design?We actually used the recognition of the package design as an opportunity. Because consumers know and connect with the logo, Diet Coke was the perfect brand to execute this new look. The new look is self-confident in both its overstatement and understatement of the brand monogram. The new design features a section of the Diet Coke logo, cropped to feature the “D” and the “k,” set against the brand’s signature silver backdrop, creating a bold, tailored look for fall.

What role does packaging play in building sales for a major brand such as Diet Coke?
Packaging is of course very important across all of the Coca-Cola brands. In the instance of this new Diet Coke package, we are reinterpreting the brand iconography to drive reconsideration. By contemporizing it for the season, we are opening it up to new users.