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NIKKI Perkins is holding her months-old daughter Ava in a London shopping mall when a woman approaches and snatches the infant child away. Perkins freezes.
Clutching Ava, the woman runs off across the mall, makes a beeline for her own daughter, and proceeds to show her Ava — here is the little Australian girl we've only ever seen on a screen!
Fast forward more than 18 months and Perkins is reliving the moment.
"It was that aunty sort of vibe, where she just grabbed her," she tells BuzzFeed. "[I wondered] Did that really just happen?"
For Perkins, this incident brought home one consequence of living at least part of your life online for the consumption of an audience — not all viewers realise that even for YouTubers there are safety and privacy lines that cannot be crossed.
Nikki Perkins and her husband Jamie are happy to hug, and take photos with, their fans. But Ava is off limits.
AVA Perkins has lived her short life in the public eye. Since her conception the 2-year-old has had an Instagram following.
So too her future sibling, whose existence was announced in September by her parents — Nikki and Jamie Perkins — on Instagram.
The announcement received more than 100,000 likes.
The Perkins share a version of their life with over 800,000 Instagram followers and 1.2 million people on YouTube.
For this Australian family, life = likes, followers, fans and a full-time job.
The visual timeline of Ava’s life is in stark contrast to her mum Nikki, who doesn’t have a single photo of herself as a baby.
Nikki was born in Khartoum in Sudan and migrated with her family, whose roots are in what is now South Sudan, to Victoria, Australia, in 1994 when she was 4-years-old.
She grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, and there, in Moorabbin, her family’s South Sudanese values were integral to her upbringing.
Living a private, quiet life was paramount. So too was working hard, an example set by her father, who took his final veterinary science exam in Australia 10 times after missing the required mark by 0.5% or 1% each time.
Nikki’s parents encouraged her to excel in school, perhaps study medicine or law, and focus on building a “stable” career.
Instead Nikki became a YouTuber.
Push back from her family over her new career was inevitable. When she started vlogging they avoided the camera.
“My Dad was on the train one day and some subscribers came up to him and were like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Nikki’s dad!’, and he was horrified that people recognised him from our videos,” Nikki said. “It’s hilarious.”
And when she first brought Jamie, now her husband, home to meet members of her family, they were initially shocked that he was white and not South Sudanese.
It’s not that Nikki's disregarded the advice of her family, she's just done things a little differently, treading her own path in love and career.
I grew up in the Sydney suburb of Lidcombe, surrounded by people who had been born overseas and subsequently made a home in Australia (more than 28% of Australians are born overseas).
And for the most part the community was tolerant and accepting of all cultures. Nikki had a similar experience in Moorabbin.
Even though there were not many South Sudanese families in the area, she felt safe and welcome, and wasn’t made to feel different.
There were few racist remarks or other negative comments from her peers or in the community.
“Growing up, I never really realised I was different from everyone else,” Nikki says.
“I never really got bullied for my skin. It’s funny because the only time I was made to feel different was from my own people, because I’m darker than my mum.”
It was when she started dating Jamie, and sharing her life online, that it all changed.
Her skin colour and their interracial relationship became a topic. And she began to face criticism in the comment feeds.
JAMIE recounts that when they first started their channel, people would show surprise that their family life was so familiar.
Bi-racial marriages don’t automatically mean there are extreme cultural differences or family tension, but part of the surprise may be the result of the way the South Sudanese community has been covered by Australian media.
“One of the sad things is the media only really shows the negative when it comes to South Sudanese … stuff like the APEX gang,” says Jamie.
“They’re trying to push the negative stuff, but they’re not trying to show any of the good stuff. Or when they do it’s like a war story: 'From war-torn country he’s come up [through] the ranks. Used to be a child soldier and now look he’s got a college degree!' There’s no middle-ground, showing it’s just normal.
“Nikki is South Sudanese. She’s proud to be South Sudanese, and of her parents' culture, but she is just the same as anybody else living in Australia.
"And that’s why so many people relate to Nikki so much because she’s just…normal.”
Many People Never Noticed This Interesting Detail in the Coca-Cola Logo...
For decades, the Coca-Cola logo has been one of the most recognizable brand symbols in the world. Millions of people see it every day on bottles, cans, advertisements, vending machines, and store signs.
Yet despite its familiarity, many people are surprised to learn that there may be a hidden visual message embedded within the famous design—one that often goes unnoticed unless someone points it out.
Recently, discussions about the Coca-Cola logo have resurfaced online after branding experts and design enthusiasts highlighted a fascinating detail hidden in the company's iconic script.
While the logo was never officially created as a secret puzzle, many observers believe there is a subtle visual element concealed within the lettering that demonstrates the power of graphic design and how our brains process familiar images.
The detail most often discussed involves the space between the letters “O” and “L” in the word “Coca-Cola.”
When viewed carefully, some people notice that the negative space created by the flowing script resembles the shape of the Danish flag.
This observation became particularly popular after Coca-Cola launched a marketing campaign in Denmark years ago.
During the campaign, advertisers emphasized the resemblance and used it as part of promotional materials to connect with Danish consumers.
The Danish flag, known as the Dannebrog, is one of the oldest national flags still in use today. It features a white cross on a red background.
Because the Coca-Cola logo itself is traditionally displayed in white lettering against a red background, some designers noticed that a section of the script naturally creates a shape resembling the flag.
Once people see it, many claim they cannot unsee it.
What makes this discovery interesting is that the resemblance was not originally intended when the logo was created.
Coca-Cola’s logo dates back to the late nineteenth century. The company’s bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, designed the original script using the popular Spencerian handwriting style of the era.
His goal was simply to create a distinctive and elegant wordmark that would stand out in advertisements.
The logo was developed long before modern branding strategies focused heavily on hidden symbols and visual storytelling.
Because of this historical context, branding experts generally agree that the Danish flag resemblance is more likely an accidental visual coincidence than a deliberately planted message. Nevertheless, it serves as a powerful example of how people naturally search for patterns in familiar images.
Human brains are remarkably skilled at recognizing shapes and symbols. Psychologists refer to this tendency as pattern recognition. We often identify faces in clouds, animals in rock formations, and meaningful images in abstract designs. When someone points out a hidden shape, our brains quickly begin connecting visual elements that previously seemed unrelated.
This phenomenon explains why so many people are surprised when they first hear about the supposed hidden message in the Coca-Cola logo. The logo is so familiar that most people stop consciously examining it. Instead, they recognize it instantly as a complete image. Once attention is directed toward a specific section of the design, however, new details suddenly become visible.
Branding specialists often use the Coca-Cola example when discussing the importance of negative space in design. Negative space refers to the empty areas surrounding and between visual elements. Skilled designers understand that these spaces can be just as important as the letters, shapes, or illustrations themselves.
Some of the world’s most famous logos intentionally use negative space to create hidden images. These subtle visual tricks can make a logo more memorable because viewers experience a small moment of discovery when they notice the concealed element. Even when a hidden image is not intentional, as many believe is the case with Coca-Cola, the effect can still generate interest and discussion.
Another reason the story continues to attract attention is the enduring popularity of logo mysteries. People enjoy discovering details they previously overlooked. The feeling of uncovering a hidden feature creates a sense of surprise and engagement. As a result, articles, videos, and social media posts about logo secrets often spread rapidly online.
The Coca-Cola logo has inspired numerous interpretations over the years. Some observers claim to see other shapes, symbols, or messages hidden within the flowing script. However, most of these theories remain speculative and are not supported by evidence from the company’s original design process. Experts generally caution against assuming that every perceived shape was intentionally included by the designer.
Still, the fact that people continue discussing the logo more than a century after its creation highlights the strength of its design. A successful logo must be simple enough to be recognized instantly yet distinctive enough to remain memorable. Coca-Cola’s script achieves both goals remarkably well.
The logo has undergone minor refinements throughout its history, but its essential appearance has remained consistent. This continuity has helped make it one of the most recognizable visual identities ever created. Even individuals who do not regularly consume Coca-Cola products can typically identify the logo within seconds.
Marketing professionals often point to Coca-Cola as an example of how consistency contributes to brand recognition. By maintaining the same general visual style across generations, the company has built a powerful connection between the logo and the brand itself. As a result, even small details within the design can become topics of fascination.
Whether the Danish flag resemblance was intentional or accidental, the discussion demonstrates how effective visual design can capture public imagination. A logo that appears simple at first glance can reveal unexpected details when examined more closely. These discoveries encourage people to look again and appreciate the craftsmanship behind iconic branding.
Ultimately, the so-called hidden message in the Coca-Cola logo is less about a secret code and more about the fascinating ways people interpret visual information. The logo’s flowing script, carefully balanced shapes, and distinctive use of negative space continue to spark curiosity more than a century after its creation.
What many people never notice is not necessarily a deliberate message from the company, but rather an intriguing visual coincidence that highlights the power of design. The fact that millions of people continue to discover new details within such a familiar logo proves that even the most recognizable symbols can still surprise us.
Sources:
Coca-Cola Company historical information on the origin and evolution of the Coca-Cola logo.
Branding and graphic design analyses discussing the use of negative space in logo design.
Historical references regarding the Dannebrog, the national flag of Denmark.
Marketing case studies referencing Coca-Cola’s Denmark promotional campaign and public discussion surrounding the logo’s resemblance to the Danish flag.
