A cold Diet Coke—sometimes paired with a shot of espresso—has become a popular afternoon ritual on social media. Gen Z has given the drink its own nickname: the “fridge cigarette.” Against that backdrop, Coca-Cola’s introduction of a new font drew attention because some users said it closely resembled one of the most recognizable visual styles in the cigarette industry.

“Coke and Marlboro had a baby—and it’s a font!,” one X user wrote after seeing Coca-Cola’s updated typography. Other users made similar comparisons, saying the refreshed Coca-Cola type treatment looked strikingly similar to Marlboro branding, in what appeared to be a case of reality echoing an existing internet joke. Marlboro’s packaging is widely associated with a sharp red-and-white geometric look, which helps explain why even small perceived similarities in type or layout were quickly picked up online.

Some fans also questioned whether the company had unintentionally leaned into the “fridge cigarette” meme. “Is Coca Cola rebranding like that because we all started calling ‘em fridge cigarettes???,” another fan asked.

Coca-Cola said the refresh was intended to create “one iconic look” across more than 200 markets through updates to its packaging and typography. The company described the changes in an official announcement. For a brand sold globally across cans, bottles, fountain channels, retail displays and digital platforms, visual consistency can be central to making the product immediately recognizable in different settings.

“This refresh is about being clearer and more consistent in how we show up, wherever people experience our brand,” Arnab Roy, president of Coca-Cola Global Category, said in a statement on Monday. “By building on the things people already know and love, we’re creating a stronger foundation for growth while staying unmistakably Coca-Cola.”

The “fridge cigarette” nickname dates back to the summer of 2025, when TikTok creator Rachel Reno referred to her cold Diet Coke as a “crispy ciggy.” The joke spread quickly across social platforms and became one of the internet’s most recognizable Diet Coke memes.

Craig Heyne, vice president of performance marketing at Bloom Nutrition, said the phenomenon is “almost synonymous with the ‘sweet treat’” trend that has circulated widely on social media.

“It’s having this little moment to yourself, this little pick-me-up, this little thing that you get to own amidst whatever your day may look like,” Heyne told Fortune. As remote and hybrid work have become more common, he said, people have had more opportunities to create those brief personal rituals during the day, making the habit especially relatable.

By the time Coca-Cola refreshed its branding, the “fridge cigarette” meme had already become part of online culture. For many consumers, the updated typography appeared to complete the joke, connecting the internet’s nickname for Diet Coke with one of the world’s best-known cigarette brands.

The reaction also highlights a broader shift in how branding is received. Instead of simply absorbing a company’s marketing message, Gen Z consumers often reinterpret it through memes, inside jokes and online culture. In some cases, those interpretations can become nearly as visible as the campaign itself, especially when a brand update lands inside an existing conversation rather than starting from a blank slate.

Allen Adamson, cofounder of brand strategy firm Metaforce, said those kinds of responses are part of managing an iconic brand.

Adamson previously worked at Landor, the design firm behind Coca-Cola’s major global redesign in the late 1980s. That project produced the identity system that introduced the brand’s signature Dynamic Ribbon.

“Things need to stay current, to stay relevant,” Adamson told Fortune. Consumers may not consciously notice when a brand starts to look slightly dated, he said, but they can still perceive it as less powerful, less strong and less current.

“A font isn’t a brand,” Adamson told Fortune. While consumers may focus on individual design elements, he said a brand’s identity is built from a much broader system of visual assets and associations.

For global brands, Adamson said, the work is never finished. Companies continually reassess whether their visual identity communicates the intended brand image consistently across packaging, retail environments and digital experiences around the world.

“No one would argue about a redesign of a brand they didn’t care about,” Adamson said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.