Schweppes has introduced a new global identity developed with JKR, updating the brand’s packaging system, typography, and visual assets while drawing from its long history. The redesign retains the brand’s signature yellow ribbon and incorporates a revised interpretation of the fountain displayed at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. Metallic finishes, simplified graphics, and refreshed typography appear across the new packaging range, while the overall system places greater emphasis on historical brand elements.
The rollout also marks the return of the Skittle bottle, a curved container originally developed to help preserve carbonation. The revived design appears in a one-liter PET format with updated detailing adapted for current production. New flavor additions include Pineapple Coconut, Pomegranate, and Tangerine, with the refreshed identity launching first in South Africa before expanding to additional markets.
Image Credit: JKR
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Heritage-led Packaging Revival
- Reintroducing archival brand elements and period-inspired motifs creates pathways for premium repositioning and differentiated consumer recognition that can unsettle contemporary minimalist trends.
- Functional-form Resurgence
- The comeback of purpose-driven container designs like the Skittle bottle highlights potential for packaging shapes to redefine usability and preservation standards across carbonated beverages.
- Flavor Diversification Within Legacy Lines
- Expanding classic ranges with novel flavor combinations signals opportunities to pair heritage credibility with modern taste exploration, potentially shifting innovation focus from new brands to established ones.
Where This Applies
- Beverage Manufacturing
- Modernizing production processes to accommodate retro bottle geometries and varied flavor SKUs may drive investment in flexible lines that challenge traditional mass-production models.
- Packaging Materials and Design
- Demand for metallic finishes and distinctive PET molds points to material and finishing technologies that could disrupt commodity packaging through experiential and preservation-focused features.
- Brand Licensing and Heritage Commerce
- Leveraging historical trademarks and visual assets across global markets presents monetization avenues that can transform heritage IP into cross-category collaborations and premium extensions.
