Did Coca-Cola take the ‘fridge cigarette’ too far?

FastCompany: For any brand, a major redesign is a make-or-break moment. But for legacy companies with decades of clout behind them, the stakes are even higher. So when Coca-Cola unveiled a new global visual identity this week (it has not yet launched in the North American market), it also gave the internet something to talk about. [Image: Coca-Cola] While retaining its unmistakable red-and-white palette, the 140-year-old brand added a fresh twist by rotating the “Coca-Cola” wordmark vertically on the can. The logo colors are now unified across all flavors as well.

(Coke Zero, for example, used to feature black lettering.) Additionally, the look leans into one of the brand’s most iconic hallmarks—the ribbon. It weaves seamlessly through static mediums like cans and billboards, and comes to life dynamically on video. This update honors the brand’s past while revitalizing its core assets for modern platforms. “Coca‑Cola is one of the most recognized brands in the world, and with that comes a responsibility to keep evolving,” Arnab Roy, president of the Coca‑Cola global category, said in an announcement .

“By building on the things people already know and love, we’re creating a stronger foundation for growth while staying unmistakably Coca‑Cola.” However, there is one new design feature that is reminding users of something else: a tall, serifed typeface from Brody Associates that resembles the wordmark of an iconic brand of cigarettes. [Image: Coca-Cola] “That’s Marlboro font. lmao,” a user wrote on X , referencing the typeface used across Coca-Cola’s new visual identity. The fonts are not identical, but the similarities have struck a chord with users. “It’s not the same typeface, but it’s too close.

A sugar company should not remind people of cigarettes,” a user said . The Coca-Cola and cigarette connection goes deeper than look-alike fonts. Last summer, the phrase “ fridge cigarette ” took over social media, a nickname for a crisp and cold Diet Coke enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. They’re leaning into that Fridge Cig meme a bit pic.twitter.com/m3R9HV7wud — FisConSocLib (@FisConNOLA) July 21, 2026 Some armchair critics questioned whether the trend inspired the artistic direction. “When we joke about calling a crispy Diet Coke a fridge cig, we didn’t mean rebrand Coke to Marlboro,” a user said on X .

Another added : “Love that they just leaned into the fact that soda is the new cigarettes by just straight-up doing the Marlboro font.” But for others, the true highlight of the visual identity isn’t its alleged similarities to other brands, but the resemblance to its own—elevating its existing look rather than completely changing it. For instance, part of the new aesthetic shifts focus back to the Arden Square , a product of Lippincott & Margulies’ corporate identity work for Coca-Cola in 1969. By doing so, the brand not only gives a nod to its own history but also taps into nostalgia, a growing trend favored by consumers today.

“I can’t stop thinking about why I love it so much,” Stef Ivanov, founder of the London-based branding agency Pony Studio, said on X. “I think it’s because everything around us became disposable. … We got so used to replacing things, that keeping them feels weird now. Boring, even.” He added : “Here’s a hundred-year-old brand saying no—not enough. We need more of us. We’re keeping it.

Coca-Cola's rebranding efforts are significant for the industry as they reflect broader trends in brand evolution and consumer perception, making it highly relevant for brand strategy professionals.