(Bloomberg) -- Coca-Cola Co. is remaking the look of its biggest drinks to convince consumers there is more to the brand than its best-known sugary soda.

The new “one brand” design is intended to unify Coca-Cola and its lower-calorie variants Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life under a single identity, according to a statement from the Atlanta based company. The new cans and bottles have started to hit store shelves now in 12 European countries, while two of the designs are being distributed across the U.S., a spokeswoman also said.

Coca-Cola, facing an obesity-related backlash in the U.S. and Europe, is looking to bring more attention to its lower-calorie drinks while tying them more directly to the iconic main product. If it works, the strategy may help reverse negative feelings about the flagship cola, which packs 140 calories per 12 ounces (355 milliliters).

“Recent research shows that not all British consumers fully understand the choice offered within the Coca-Cola trademark and the distinct benefits of each brand,” the company said.

For instance, five of 10 British customers don’t understand that Coca-Cola Zero has no sugar and zero calories, Coca-Cola discovered. Coca-Cola Great Britain plans to double spending on media as part of the strategy, according to the statement.

The new packaging in 11 European countries, including France, will emphasize the iconic Coca-Cola trademark while retaining each brand’s individual red, silver, black and green color schemes. In Spain, the company will try a separate design using the Coca-Cola logo, the color red and the traditional white ribbon for the top two-thirds of the can, while the bottom third makes use of each brand’s usual color.

In the U.S., the new graphics will be used on Coca-Cola and Coke Zero packages, said Judith Snyder, a spokeswoman, in an e-mail. There are no plans now to introduce the Diet Coke and Coke Life designs.

Coca-Cola declined less than 1 percent to $42.34 at 2:25 p.m. in New York.

To contact the reporter on this story: Duane D. Stanford in Atlanta at dstanford2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net Bruce Rule

Source | Bloomberg Business.