Sunkist Soda's Packaging Gets A Makeover

By Sam Lewis

Aiming to engage with a younger generation, popular orange soda’s packaging is getting a new image

New York-based brand agency, CBX, recently got a call from the Dr Pepper Snapple Group to rejuvenate the packaging for Sunkist Soda. The company hopes to reinvigorate the soft drink’s image with its “fun in the sun” roots with new graphics aimed at the Millenial market.

The Dr Pepper Snapple Group recognized an opportunity for Sunkist to be positioned again as the fun soda with California style. “Since 2008, our packaging has been missing the original sun graphic, an equity that has been present for much of the brand’s history,” says Eric Blackwood, director of brand marketing, core flavored soft drinks at Dr Pepper Snapple Group. “Without it, we lost a connection to our California beach story and lacked differentiation within the orange segment.”

With that in mind, the company decided to hone in upon the teenage demographic to not only differentiate Sunkist from other orange soda makers, but to capture the world’s largest demographic. The beverage company turned to CBX to create visually appealing graphics that incorporate the sun and its California roots, with the revised slogan, “Sunkist Soda lets you shine,” guiding the endeavor. “The sun graphic provided us with a great platform for expressing the brand,” says Satoru Wakeshima, general manager at CBX. “Our opportunity was to visually express the idea of ’liquid sunshine.’” “It was all about harnessing the positivity and vitality we associate with the sun and using that energy to gain relevancy with our target.”

CBX’s design solution combines a newly scripted Sunkist brand name, encapsulating a surf-lifestyle vibe, with bright new colors, giving the packaging the essence of being kissed by the sun. The blue and white in the old Sunkist script branding have been reversed, and the impression of beading condensation covering the package embodies the ultimate goal of “liquid sunshine.” The product remains unchanged, but the new packaging should stand out on the shelf, catching the eyes of the desired Millenial market.