Epoch's Inca Kola Refresh Taps Into the Soda Brand's Peruvian Pride

• Inca Kola’s brand refresh, courtesy of the agency Epoch, includes changes to the beverage maker’s typography, patterns, color palettes, brand positioning, and new sonic branding.
• Epoch’s refresh comes as Inca Kola faces competition from smaller soda brands with similar visual identities, diluting its distinctiveness.

Inca Kola has been part of the Peruvian landscape since 1935, when British immigrant Robinson Lindley invented it. Despite having “Kola” in the name, the iconic beverage is yellow and, well, it also doesn’t taste much like cola at all. Instead, Inca Kola’s flavor is often described as closer to bubblegum or cream soda, and its main ingredient is lemon verbena.

Recently, Inca Kola underwent a brand update, working with the agency Epoch. The refresh comes as the beverage continues to face competition from newcomers like Issac Kola, Triple Kola, and Peru Kola, all touting their independence from Big Cola (a previous source of pride for Inca Kola) and their domestic roots. Some competitors have even borrowed some of Inca Kola’s visual characteristics, like the color palette and Ican motifs, diluting the distinctiveness the brand has had for generations.