Is there something in the carbonated water? Collaborations seem rampant these days, and now the iconoclast Jean Paul Gaultier has been named creative director of what is perhaps the most universal brand in the history of mankind, Diet Coke, joining the likes of previous crown-wearers Karl Lagerfeld and Roberto Cavalli.

Dubbed Night and Day, these exclusive first bottle designs for Diet Coke (a third will follow in the summer) are vintage Gaultier. A cream, red and navy palette evokes the sweet shops and capped soda jerks of yesteryear, while the bottle’s curves mirror the likeness of Madonna’s lightning-rod brassiere, Gaultier’s most fashion-forward creation to date. (Her look was dutifully emulated by a snugly corseted Gemma Arterton at the product’s Paris launch.)

“It refreshes the image,” pronounced Hilary Alexander, who hosted yesterday’s event at London’s Harvey Nichols. “It’s extraordinary that his designs lend themselves so well to the shape of a woman. You instantly look at these bottles, and you know.”