Fresca Logo

In its early years, Fresca was marketed as a sophisticated, adult-oriented soda, standing out from sugary cola competitors with its distinctive, less sweet flavor. The drink quickly developed a loyal following, particularly among those seeking a more refreshing and calorie-conscious option. Over time, the brand expanded its flavor offerings, adding variations like Black Cherry Citrus and Peach Citrus to appeal to broader tastes, while maintaining its core identity as a guilt-free, sparkling beverage.

Meaning and History

Fresca was launched by The Coca-Cola Company in 1964 as part of the growing demand for diet beverages in the United States. At a time when health consciousness was rising, Fresca offered something new: a zero-calorie, grapefruit-flavored soft drink that stood apart from the sweeter, more traditional sodas on the market. The name “Fresca,” meaning “fresh” (feminine) in Spanish, perfectly captured the brand’s essence, emphasizing its light, crisp, and refreshing taste.

In its early years, Fresca was marketed as an adult-oriented drink, with advertising that positioned it as a stylish, refreshing alternative to sugary soft drinks. The original formula used cyclamate as a sweetener, but after it was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1969, Coca-Cola reformulated Fresca with saccharin, and later aspartame, as artificial sweeteners.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Fresca gained a dedicated following in the U.S. and internationally, particularly in Latin America, where its citrus flavor was a perfect fit for regional preferences. While its grapefruit-forward taste made it a more niche offering compared to the mainstream cola giants, it remained a popular choice for consumers seeking a lighter, calorie-free soda.

In the 2000s, Fresca underwent a rebranding to align with modern health trends. New flavors such as Peach Citrus and Black Cherry Citrus were introduced, appealing to a broader audience while maintaining the original’s clean, crisp identity. It also gained popularity as a mixer for cocktails, marketed as a versatile option for those who wanted a calorie-conscious drink with a hint of citrus.

Today, Fresca remains a distinctive player in Coca-Cola’s portfolio, standing out for its long-standing commitment to offering a refreshing, sugar-free experience with a bold citrus twist, maintaining its relevance across generations of health-conscious consumers.

What is Fresca?
Fresca is the name of a soft drink brand that has carved out a niche as a refreshing, citrus-flavored beverage with zero calories. Originally introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 1964, Fresca was designed to offer a lighter, sugar-free alternative to traditional sodas, appealing to consumers who wanted flavor without the calories.

In terms of visual identity, Fresca is one of those brands that fully lives up to its name. The first adjective that comes to mind, when you see the badge of this beverage, is, of course, Fresh.

1964 – 1970

The original Fresca logo, designed in the middle of the 1960s, featured solely a graphical wordmark, executed in a custom designer font. The solid green inscription was written in narrowed capitals with quite a cartoonish motion mood. The logo looked very stylish and young.

1970 – 1975

In 1970 the Fresca logo was redesigned for the first time. The wordmark was completely remade and new elements were added to the composition. The abstract white and blue water swirl was drawn on the left side of the badge, accompanied by a bold title case lettering in a geometric sans-serif typeface with blue and green characters set in a chaotic way above the line.

1975 – 1980

The redesign of 1975 has kept the typeface of the wordmark unchanged, but refined the lettering, setting it in one shade — dark green, and writing it in one straight line. Now the conscripts were set on a badge with a sky-blue background and white additional elements.

1980 – 1986

Another redesign was held by the brand in 1980. A completely new concept was introduced by the designers: a distinctive uppercase inscription in a modified Helvetica font was written in solid green on a white background and enclosed between green and yellow stripes.

1986 – 1988

In 1986 the Fresca logo was simplified, with the additional graphical elements removed. The main hero of the badge was a neat uppercase lettering in a narrowed sans-serif font. The wordmark was accompanied by a tagline in small capitals.

1988 – 1996

The redesign of 1988 has fully changed the look of the Fresca logo, introducing it in a traditional and very elegant style. The lettering was rewritten in a classy serif typeface with solid blue characters decorated by thin golden shadows. The wordmark was accompanied by quite a detailed image of two citrus fruits drawn in the same color palette.

1996 – 2005

The badge, created for the Fresca brand in 1996, was executed in a bright blue, yellow, and white color palette, with flat elements. The bold white lettering in a fancy serif font was written against a solid green rectangular banner, on a background with yellow lemons and blue bubbles.

2005 – 2018

In 2005 the brand came up with a modern and laconic logo, which only featured stylish minimalistic lettering, written in the uppercase of a modern sans-serif font. The black inscription was placed against a plain white background and enclosed between two short blue horizontal strokes.

2018 – today

The redesign of 2018 has shown a strong and modern logo, with just a stylized lettering enclosed into a light gray oval frame. The inscription is set in a designer typeface, with the bottom line of the letters arched. The dark blue characters are freshened up by thin light shadows.

Color

The blue and gray color palette of the Fresca visual identity looks fresh and clean, creating a professional and confident image for the brand’s representation.

Font

The stylish and distinctive lettering from the modern logo of the Fresca brand is written in a designer sans-serif typeface with clean contours of the characters and elongated horizontal bars of the first and the last letters.