Dear Sprite, Why So Green?

Ever wondered why a Coca-Cola bottle, a Thums Up bottle, a Fanta bottle and a Limca bottle are all transparent but a Sprite bottle is green?

A New York-based design agency was given the brief to communicate the freshness of Sprite several years ago. It came up with the green colour that helps the brand stand out on the shelf with an attention-grabbing look.

The answer was this refreshing lemon drink packaged inside the emerald green colour bottle, routed in history and touted to break the visual noise in stores. In the colour war, Sprite carves out a space through its powerful colour blocking.

Green, the stirring color of life, renewal, nature and energy, has been in Sprite’s DNA since its 1961 debut. Now the drink has become so synonymous with the colour that some people refer to it as the, “green waala cold drink.”

Green is a refreshing colour. It reminds of the lush green outdoors that calms our senses. Green is classic and modern, and naturally crisp and clean. It’s never aggressive or boring, and always a cool and refreshing lemon-lime flavour... just like Sprite.

A product must rouse all the 5 senses for a wholesome appeal. And the sense of sight gets gratified first. Sprite’s status among the world’s most recognised brands can largely be attributed to this signature green bottle.

The Sprite bottle also has the rounded marks called “dimples” to represent the carbonation in the drink. These graphic elements, in conjunction with the green, reinforce Sprite to be “a hit of refreshment.”

By continuing to showcase green on everything from in-store merchandising, to vending machines, to packaging and advertising, Sprite continues to build what design gurus call brand equity, and surprise and delight fans across the country. It visually refreshes.

Put an ear to the ground and every single person has turned into a weather commentator. It’s summer. The tropical Indian land is wallowing in sweat and can’t stop talking about it. In a scenario like this the emerald green bottle of lemon-flavoured Sprite along with its bubbly dimples is a respite to many.