As the only provider of syndicated package design data, Designalytics evaluates the top-selling and fastest-growing designs across hundreds of consumer-packaged-goods categories. We measure and analyze a wide range of design performance areas, including visibility, communication, mental availability, element-level diagnostics, and more.
To maximize the impact of their package designs, brands in the soda category have to be recognizable, engaging, and appealing to consumers. These redesigns show how four global brands and one challenger each successfully connected with consumers with their latest redesigns.
For a staple brand like Coca-Cola, familiar design elements carry a lot of weight. Sometimes, the “louder” they are, the more effective they can be.
In this case, the updated can features a larger vertical logo and reintroduces the signature wave graphic. The more prominent logo covers more of the can, reducing space and making the brand name easier to read. Consumers responded positively, describing the design as traditional and classic. One called it “ the iconic style I grew up with,” while others appreciated being able to read the full logo without turning the can. Overall, 68% of consumers preferred the new design.
Coca-Cola also added a prominent cherry illustration to its cherry variety, giving consumers an immediate visual cue to distinguish it from regular Coke. The addition helped the redesign earn 79% consumer preference, with one consumer explaining that “the cherry on the label makes it easier to identify than the word cherry alone.” Others appreciated how the image made the flavor unmistakable. The illustration also brought a little personality to the design, with one consumer describing it as “cute and almost sparkly” and another saying the cherry “adds fun.”
This tepache (a fermented pineapple drink competing in the soda category) redesign earned an impressive 86% consumer preference. The updated pack utilized brighter colors, prominent flavor imagery, and updated callouts like “6g of fiber” to enhance the product’s communication and overall appeal. For consumers unfamiliar with tepache, showing the actual fruit communicated the flavor immediately, whereas the previous design’s pineapple icon created potential confusion. Others felt the fruit imagery gave the product a more authentic appeal. Consumers also preferred the more visible fiber callout, with one explaining, “it's something I look for more than the calories.”
Much like its sister brand (Coke), Sprite gave its can a new look by shifting the logo to a vertical orientation, emphasizing the brand name and making it easier to read. Consumers appreciated the improved visibility, with one explaining, “I like that I can see all of the letters in the name.” Others felt the updated layout looked more “modern” while retaining the overall look they associate with Sprite. The change may have been simple, but it made a meaningful difference: 73% of consumers preferred the redesign.
The brand gave the flavor a starring role with this redesign, replacing the less recognizable fruit graphic with a larger, more detailed strawberry image. The added pink made the package feel “more colorful” while reinforcing the strawberry flavor. Overall, 61% of consumers chose the new design.
These soda packaging redesigns show how changes to flavor imagery, color, and even logo placement can drive consumer preference. But design choices that resonate with consumers can vary from one category to the next. Our syndicated data gives brands and agencies access to consumer data across thousands of CPG package designs, helping them understand what’s working in their categories and make more informed design decisions. Explore our syndicated data subscriptions to see how our insights can help guide your next packaging redesign.