Fans are trolling Coca-Cola's rebrand for one very specific reason

Two days ago, Coca-Cola announced a new “global visual identity system,” or what most people would call a rebrand. Since then, the internet has been ablaze with opinions ranging from “I can’t tell a difference” to “w**.”

According to the brand, the new look is rolling out across more than 200 markets, including Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and aims to amplify the company’s core aesthetics, including its red-and-white design, font, and Arden Square.

"Coca‑Cola is one of the most recognized brands in the world, and with that comes a responsibility to keep evolving,” said Arnab Roy, President, Coca‑Cola Global Category. “This refresh is about being clearer and more consistent in how we show up, wherever people experience our brand,” he continued.

But chatter on social media doesn't quite understand the vision... or does it?

“Coca Cola was the gold standard of branding that leaves a legacy...And then Coca Cola suddenly popped out with Marlboro’s typeface 🤣 Get me off this timeline now,” one person wrote on Threads.

“Is Coca Cola rebranding like that because we all started calling em fridge cigarettes???” another fan questioned.

People are really trolling the soda company for its new typeface, which many are calling out for looking a lot like Marlboro’s.

“Sure, you’ve made mistakes. But did you change @cocacola’s brand identity to look like one of the most recognizable cigarette brands ever created?” one person joked. “If she didn’t instantly recognize the coke rebrand as the marlboro font, she’s too young for you,” wrote a separate Threads user.

While many people are commenting on the striking resemblance to Marlboro’s branding, others are genuinely concerned about the change because it may make it harder to tell which type of Coke you’re grabbing at first glance.

“Worse than Coca-Cola’s adoption of a serif typeface that resembles the Marlboro branding is their obfuscation of their many different flavors,” one consumer observed.

Another pointed out how this change could affect people with health conditions such as diabetes. “Hey @cocacola - why do you insist on making it more difficult to tell coke zero from regular coke at a glance? I’m not even diabetic but that seems like a dangerous f*****g thing to do,” they wrote.

So what do you think of the rebrand? Is Coca-Cola trying too hard to be something it’s not, or are people overreacting?