Why youth behaviour is at the centre of Thums Up’s 2026 marketing strategy

Thums Up has entered 2026 with a refreshed visual identity and a new brand anthem, both rooted in a specific consumer behaviour the brand observed among young people across India. The changes mark the cola's first major visual evolution in over two decades and signal a shift in how the brand positions itself in a market where India's carbonated soft drinks category is projected to reach US$ 33,477.4 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.5%, according to a report.

On January 16, 2026, Thums Up unveiled its new identity, developed by the brand's in-house design team in partnership with design agency SUPERULTRARARE®. The trademark logo, which has been refreshed only three times since the brand's inception, now features sharper typography and a colour palette of spiced red, iced blue, and storm blue that draws from the brand's heritage. The visual identity keeps the thumb intact while optimising the logo for consistency across screens and a stronger impact on retail shelves.

Greishma Singh, Vice President, Marketing, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, explains the rationale behind the change. "The main thing we have done is to sharpen it up so that it's future-ready. Today we work in different aspect ratios. We need the logo to be ready to stand out on a shelf, on a can, and at the same time shine on a screen, be it on a perimeter in a stadium, wherever it is," she says.

The visual evolution maintains the brand's distinctive assets while introducing what Singh describes as "liquid thinking" that allows the brand to move from shelf to street to screen to stadium. This approach reflects the multi-platform reality brands navigate today, where a logo needs to work equally well on physical packaging and digital interfaces.

Meeting the youth through adventure and cricket

Apart from the logo refresh, Thums Up released its 'Taste the Thunder' anthem featuring Hanumankind and Vishal Dadlani on February 5, 2026. Conceptualised by WPP Ogilvy and produced with Universal Music Group, the anthem brings together India's new-age hip-hop movement with mainstream rock. It was directed by Bijoy Shetty and composed by Sushin Shyam, with lyrics by Varun Grover.

The anthem builds on the line "Aaj Kuch Toofani Kartein Hain" and is driven by a consumer insight the brand identified through research. Singh explains what the team discovered when they spoke to young people. "When you talk to young people around the country, there is the stress, the pressure, the burden of becoming. But when you dig a little deeper, what they want to do is relish the last days of freedom, and the people they want to do that with are their close gang of friends, their inner circle," she continues.

That tension between external expectations and the desire to maximise moments with friends became the foundation for the anthem. During research, consumers described specific moments where Thums Up was present: biking at night, gathering around cricket matches, going to bridges in every town, climbing buildings to see the view. These were the moments young people valued most with their close groups.

Singh notes that the brand occupies a unique position in these moments. While many brands seek to be part of youth culture, Thums Up is naturally welcome. Many young people describe it as the sixth member of the group, a position that reflects the cultural integration the brand has built over time.

The anthem also features cricketers Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh, continuing the brand's association with cricket. It will anchor Thums Up's summer campaign during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, merging cricket, cinema, and music across platforms.

The brand's media strategy for the anthem centres on meeting consumers where they already are. Singh outlines the approach the team has developed over recent years. "Consumer centricity is really, really critical. Everything starts and ends with the consumer. We have really built that muscle in listening. No matter where a consumer is talking about it, be it in social, a real-life group, whatever it is, we will go far and wide to truly hear.”

The team at Ogilvy expects the anthem to become soundtrack material for reels, the background music for moments young people share on social media. If consumers adopt it and make it their own, that becomes the measure of success. 

With the refreshed identity and anthem, Thums Up's 2026 marketing strategy is to position itself at the intersection where youth culture happens, listen to consumer behaviour, and reflect the moments that already matter to them.