PACKAGING PROFILE: COCA-COLA
January 2012
GLOBAL ICONIC PACKAGING DESIGN
Creation and evolution of the contour bottle that epitomises Coke
Image source: The Coca-Cola Company
1899-1902
1900-1916
1915: The contour bottle
prototype was designed and
patented by the Root Glass
Company and became the
reference pack for Coca-Cola.
© Euromonitor International
1915
1957
1961
The contour bottle was the
only packaging used by The
Coca-Cola Company for 40
years until the king-size pack
was launched in 1955.
PACKAGING: COCA-COLA PROFILE
1991
1993
2007
Use of the contour shape has
extended beyond glass to
PET bottles of up to 2-litres in
size; also introduced for
Coca-Cola's aluminium
bottles.
PASSPORT 2
GLOBAL ICONIC PACKAGING DESIGN
The aluminium bottle adds diversity to Coke's packaging portfolio
 The aluminium bottle, a more recent addition to the
TCCC's cola carbonates' packaging family in 2007,
serves as a means to generate additional interest
and sales, especially within mature and stagnating
markets.
 The brands' use of a sleek design clearly
communicates its core brand heritage through the
widely recognisable "C" and font whether that be for
a bottle of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero.
 The aluminium bottle acts as a means to widen
consumption occasions and reach out to new
consumers whilst its contour shape also connects
with the brand's heritage and longevity, that of the
Coca-Cola's contour glass bottle launched in 1915,
the packaging most synonymous with the brand.
 Its sales are strongest in the on-trade where the
higher per ml cost of buying in this pack format will
be more acceptable than in the off-trade.
 Presented in 250ml and 330ml pack sizes, with
Rexam's Fusion aluminium bottle important for
supply in Europe with demand being met by Rexam's
Czech manufacturing plant.
© Euromonitor International
PACKAGING: COCA-COLA PROFILE
330ml aluminium bottle
Image source: The Coca-Cola Company
PASSPORT 3
A SIZE FOR ALL OCCASIONS/CONSUMERS
In Latin America, economy-buying increases sale of bigger packs
 Customer pack size preferences vary by country and
region with concentration of buying in larger sizes
more pronounced in Latin America whilst a preference
for the beverage can in the US, France and Spain
explains the higher uptake of smaller pack sizes.
 In Brazil and Argentina, 3rd and 5th largest world
markets for Coca-Cola sales, there is a greater
tendency to purchase in larger family sizes in contrast
to Mexico. In Brazil, 1.5- and 2-litre are highly popular
Coca-Cola purchases, likewise for Argentina where
1.5-litre PET is the biggest seller.
 The recent introduction of even larger 2.5- and 3-litre
sizes in Argentina is indicative of the brand's focus on
giving consumers better value for money propositions
than the 1.5/2-litre bottles in times of high inflation and
constrained buying power.
 In Brazil, despite the strength of the 2-litre PET bottle,
ever-looking for ways to expand customer reach,
Coca-Cola launched in a 200ml refillable glass bottle
in 2010, the smallest retail pack size for the Coca-Cola
brand in Brazil, to target the low-income population
with a retail price of R$0.50.
© Euromonitor International
PACKAGING: COCA-COLA PROFILE
PASSPORT 4
A SIZE FOR ALL OCCASIONS/CONSUMERS
2011 sees China switch to smaller sizes in PET and beverage cans
 Coca-Cola China has made a number of pack size
changes to its cola carbonates in 2010-2011, to add
dynamism to already strong sales of PET bottles.
 Most notably in 2011 has been the switch from
retailing in 600ml PET bottles to 500ml, the latter
being the more typical globally common single-serve
PET size for cola. This size reduction is not solely the
strategy of Coca-Cola as PepsiCo has also made this
switch, while the brands retail at the same price point
as the former 600ml size enabling brand owners to
preserve margin as inflation and costs rise.
 To address affordability and grow the customer base,
Coca-Cola launched in a 300ml PET bottle in 2011
with sales through the convenience stores channel;
the launch enables Coca-Cola to hold a line of its
products at under RMB2, a price point considered
accessible to the majority of Chinese consumers, and
in an easy-to-carry and recloseable pack.
 Beverage can sizes have also altered with both
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo shifting from 355ml to 330ml,
the typical pack size specified across Europe; again,
reducing pack size also serves as a useful tool for
brands to maintain margins without raising unit prices.
© Euromonitor International
PACKAGING: COCA-COLA PROFILE
Coca-Cola
300ml PET bottle
China
Launched Spring 2011
RRP: RMB2
Designed as a convenient
on-the-go, recloseable pack
PASSPORT 5
SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY: PLANTBOTTLE
The sustainability strategy of TCCC for packaging
 The Coca-Cola Company's commitment to
sustainability encompasses reduction of
the company's carbon footprint, water
stewardship, the support of healthy living
and making positive contributions to local
communities throughout the world.
 For packaging, as is becoming more
prevalent across other fmcg brands and
their packaging suppliers, there is the
concerted effort and investment by CocaCola brands to reduce the impact of
packaging on the environment and to
maximise use of renewable, reusable and
recyclable materials in order to reduce
dependency on fossil fuel sources and to
improve the recovery of packaging
materials for recycling.
Logo using the contour bottle shape forms
part of a US Coca-Cola campaign in 2011
to encourage consumers to recycle their
soft drinks bottles and cans
© Euromonitor International
PACKAGING: COCA-COLA PROFILE
PASSPORT 6