Side Salad: What's Red and White and Marlboro All Over?
July 21, 2026
Good morning from Dieline’s editor-in-chief, Bill McCool. Here’s your daily side serving of design news, short musings, brand stuff, and forgotten ephemera.
Finally, an answer to the multi-million-dollar question that pops up every decade: should we put the Coca-Cola script vertically or horizontally on the cans? The answer—this time, at least—was vertically, which has always looked best to these here peepers. That said, I’m not sure Coca-Cola ever really “redesigns,” I think they remix. This isn’t a system one blows up or evolves; you just move things around until it gels and feels somewhat different, right? And that’s really what Coca-Cola is saying in this piece. The soft drink brand has god-tier assets, and they only need to “amplify” them.
FWIW, some folks think that the new Coca-Cola typeface is just a skosh Marlboro-ish.
Speaking of JKR, they did these nifty Budweiser x World Cup bottles that are part of these Adidas boot bag/capsules. Lovely stuff. Busy week for Jones, Knowles, and Ritchie, I guess!
Van Leeuwen sued Rebel Ice Cream to the tune of $23.8 million in a trade dress infringement case and won. Now, Rebel must redesign their packaging. Seems egregious, but what do I know!
Everyone’s favorite record cover artist, Robert Beatty, was interviewed in It’s Nice That, and I wholeheartedly agree that cable TV at the dawn of the internet age was a wild and wonderful place.
How do you, fellow kids? Boy, have I got a soda pop for you! (This is as painful as hearing Elon Musk say “no cap” on SNL.)
Oh no, Grandpa wandered off again. Someone get Pudding Pants back to the home.
They just put a Levi’s tab on Woody’s jeans.
Per customer request, Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages has introduced a heavy-duty reusable glass bottle for hospitality, fine dining, specialty retail, and home consumption. Gonna have to keep tabs on that one, because I’m genuinely curious about why people are requesting this format with a water brand. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see it, but beyond, say, a hotel, I don’t know where or what occasions people will refill one of these.
“Fast cars, fine ass / These things will pass / and it won’t get more profound.”
-Bill