More than 240 years after Jacob Schweppe first carbonated water, the brand is going back to its own history to define what comes next.
Together with branding agency JKR, the Coca-Cola-owned brand just launched its new platform, "With Time Comes Taste."
It includes refreshed packaging, the return of Clive the Leopard, and the revival of the historic Skittle bottle.
The refreshed identity restores historic typography, the Great Exhibition fountain emblem, and the brand's signature yellow ribbon.
"We realised it was no longer enough to simply show up in the aisle," Joshua Schwarber, senior global design director at The Coca-Cola Company, said in a statement.
"Schweppes needed to better reflect the quality, sophistication and authority it had built for more than two centuries."
Originally engineered to help preserve carbonation, the Skittle bottle returns in a one-liter PET format adapted for modern production.
The rollout has already begun in South Africa and the U.K., with additional markets scheduled throughout 2026.
Schweppes Restores Its Most Distinctive Assets
The refresh updates nearly every visual element consumers encounter, from packaging and typography to flavors and brand characters.
The new packaging design features metallic finishes and a revised fountain emblem from the Great Exhibition of 1851.
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The typography reinforces the same idea, pulling from 18th-century lettering to make the brand's age and credibility more visible.
Schweppes is expanding its flavor lineup with Pineapple Coconut, Pomegranate, and Tangerine varieties.
Clive the Leopard also returns after nearly two-and-a-half decades away from the spotlight.
The mascot will appear across the brand's "Summer of Schweppes" activations and advertising.
The character gives Schweppes another recognizable asset as it reconnects consumers with the brand's identity.
"With Time Comes Taste" also gives it a distinctive story rooted in category authority.
Two Centuries of Credibility
Schweppes nurtured its credibility for over two centuries, and this new platform finally puts it to work.
Founded in 1783, the company displayed its fountain emblem in 1851 and introduced Indian Tonic Water in 1870.
It played a direct role in making the Gin and Tonic a cultural staple in England, and this association carried the drink into American households after World War II.
This kind of cultural footprint gives Schweppes' rebrand a foundation most beverage brands spend decades trying to earn.
This brand refresh highlights how longevity can support differentiation when paired with modern execution.
- Heritage creates credibility. Brands should highlight authentic historical assets to reinforce quality and expertise.
- Distinctive packaging improves brand recognition. Companies should preserve memorable visual elements to strengthen shelf visibility.
- Established brands still need innovation. Marketers should refresh products and experiences to keep legacy brands relevant to new audiences.
Schweppes is proof that the oldest assets on the shelf can still be the most powerful ones, as long as the brand is willing to invest in them.
Our Take: Can a Bottle Become a Brand Asset?
Yes, and the Skittle bottle is one of the cleaner examples of how physical design becomes a brand asset in its own right.
A shape that consumers recognize on sight does the same job as a logo, and it works across every surface the product touches.
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A distinctive bottle coupled with a returning mascot gives Schweppes two recognizable assets working in the same direction.
We think this combination builds recognition faster than either one could on its own.
Brands that build multiple owned assets across packaging, character, and platform tend to hold category positions longer because each asset reinforces the others.
We think that Schweppes' return to the Skittle bottle shows how physical design carries brand equity in a way that a campaign alone never could.
As beverage brands invest in premium positioning, packaging design continues to influence consumer perception.
Explore these Top Packaging Design Companies who specialize in modernizing heritage while preserving recognition.
