Sprite is a lemon-lime soft drink owned by The Coca-Cola Company, first introduced in the United States in 1961 after being developed in West Germany in 1959 as Fanta Klare Zitrone. The brand’s visual identity has undergone multiple significant redesigns over its six-decade history, most recently in 2026 with the return of its iconic Lymon symbol.
Design and History
Sprite’s original 1961 logo featured green lettering with an eight-point star replacing the dot of the “i.” From 1989 onward, the star was replaced by a simple lemon icon above the “i,” which became one of the brand’s most distinctive identifiers for over a decade. In 2008, the starburst was reintroduced and combined with the wordmark, while the lemon icon gradually disappeared from the logo. [1]
In 2009, Sprite introduced a new dynamic logo timed with its sponsorship of the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest. The design featured a starburst shape surrounding the wordmark with a lemon-lime symbol, drawing comparisons to the brand’s 1960s-era logo. [2]
In 2019, Sprite updated its packaging and logo, replacing the iconic lemon image with a yellow dot above the “i” and simplifying the overall design to a predominantly green color scheme. The logo’s tilt was reduced, and the starburst was transformed into a green block surrounding the wordmark. [3]
In May 2022, Sprite announced a global brand refresh as part of its first-ever unified worldwide marketing campaign, “Heat Happens.” The new visual identity, created by design firm Turner Duckworth in collaboration with Coca-Cola’s internal design team, removed the starburst frame entirely and changed the wordmark from an angled to a horizontal arrangement. The logo became monochromatic, appearing as white text on green or green text on white. The starburst was retained as a standalone symbol applied to bottle caps and other touchpoints. [4] [1]
In March 2026, Sprite launched its latest global brand platform, “It’s That Fresh,” rolling out across 180 markets. The refreshed visual identity marks the return of the Lymon symbol, the brand’s historic lemon-lime icon, in an evolved contemporary form unified with the bold white Sprite wordmark as a single hero asset. The redesign was developed by creative studio forpeople in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company’s global design team. [5] [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Lymon symbol, composed of a lime and lemon, has been one of Sprite’s most recognizable brand assets and an icon of refreshment. Its return in 2026 was described by Coca-Cola as restoring the brand’s distinctive edge while staying true to elements consumers recognize. [5] [7]
The 2026 identity system emphasizes a green-and-white color palette brought into sharper focus, with liquid-inspired graphics and motion elements designed to convey the product’s carbonation and citrus profile. The new look includes vertically oriented wordmarks on cans and a shared design structure across Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar, with black accents distinguishing the zero-sugar variant. [6] [5]
Typography and Design
The 2022 redesign simplified the Sprite wordmark to a horizontal, non-italic arrangement, removing the angled presentation that had characterized earlier versions. The new typography was designed to appear bold and direct, with the logo rendered in a single color: white on green or green on white. [1]
The 2026 update retained the 2022 wordmark while reintroducing the Lymon symbol as the dot of the letter “i.” The design team at forpeople described their approach as understanding what made Sprite distinctive in the first place and building from there, focusing on the brand’s most recognizable elements: the wordmark, the Lymon, and the color. [7]
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