Coke Can

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Gallium Induced Structural Failure of a Coke Can

The Mighty Coke Bottle

The Coke is without question one of the most famous and recognizable containers in the world. Just try to think of any other package or container of any product that is more well known. In terms of marketing, their bottle is without question one of their most valuable assets for maximizing brand recognition and familiarity. Having a logo, package or image for a product that virtually anyone in the world can immediately recognize is an invaluable marketing edge, and the legendary contour Coke bottle is likely one of the major reasons that continues to have the edge in the cola wars.

Coke first began to sell their product in a bottle in 1899 and it went through a few revisions over the next few years. The now famous contour Coke bottle eventually made its debut in 1915. By that time both the drink and the packaging were beginning to be imitated, so a contest was launched among Coke bottle suppliers to design a new bottle that would help to set the product apart from competitors. The idea was to create a bottle that was easily recognized even without reading the label, distinct from the competition, and of course visually appealing. Out of that contest the contoured, almost womanly shaped Coke bottle was born, and by 1920 that design was the standard container for Coke.

Over the years the Coke bottle maintained its basic shape, although minor periodic changes were made to its appearance. Adjustments were made to its size, symmetry and logo color, but contoured design continued. It quickly grew to be one of the world's most well known packages for any sort of product. The shape of the Coke bottle is easily recognized by most people whether or not they can read the label, see the entire bottle, or even if the bottle is broken.

Over the years soft drink manufacturers including Coke began to use other packaging materials to distribute their products. Glass bottles began to be replaced by plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Throughout these changes the Coke bottle has maintained its traditional shape as the plastic bottles are still designed in the same way. There were even introductions of a contour shaped aluminum can, although these never really became widespread. A standard aluminum can is much more common as it makes for easier shipping, and Coke now uses those for the most part.

 Nowadays, Coke are wide ranging. The success and popularity of the Coke bottle has led to many of the company's other products being bottled in a similarly styled contour bottle. A number of their subsidiary products have, at various times, been packaged in bottles that resemble the famous Coke bottle. This includes products including Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. Not exactly the same but close enough to notice the similarity. Whether the reason is to piggy back off success of Coke, or to tie the brands together is unknown, but the related designs are interesting.

In the world of product marketing, there are a handful of logos, packages ad emblems that are virtually globally recognized. They are so well known that people know exactly what company they belong to, even if they only see an outline of it, a portion of it or even a shape that reminds them of it. The Coke bottle is probably the best example of such product.

Although it's impossible to prove, one has to believe that a great deal of Coke's success has to be attributed to the brand awareness created by the uniqueness of the Coke bottle. It is world famous, immediately recognizable, and people are drawn to it. They see familiarity in the bottle and they know exactly what they are going to get, no matter where they are. So when they are selecting a beverage to purchase, the Coke seems to call their name, that's powerful brand awareness.

It seems to be apparent that part of the marketing strategy of Coke is to appeal to the nostalgia of people. Since the Coke bottle has been around for such a long time, many people feel somewhat of an emotional connection to it. Maybe it reminds them of their childhood or brings back some good memories. A lot of people may choose to purchase Coke over Pepsi or another cola based on an emotional connection, whether they realize it or not. Of course this has a lot to do with advertising and other marketing forms besides just the bottle, but the Coke bottle definitely is a powerful resource due to its longevity, familiarity and that it is so easily recognized. Often the bottle is even used in their logos. People simply know, like and gravitate towards the Coke bottle.

Coke must know that they have done something very right with their branding efforts when they see how many of their products have become collector items. Many people collect not only Coke bottles from various periods of time, but also virtually any other item with the Coke logo on it. This includes glasses, clocks, serving trays, signs, you name it. Coke memorabilia, particularly retro and antique items are popular amongst full time collectors and average people alike. You'll find them online, at auctions and flea markets, and they are always very popular. There are other companies whose collectible items are popular, but few whose match those of Coke.

Certainly Coke has to be considered a company that has done an incredibly effective job in branding and marketing itself. It's products and logos are highly recognized worldwide, and they own a large portion of a massive global beverage market. The way they have chosen to package their product has played a significant role in that success. The Coke bottle has become an icon and you can be sure that it is not going away anytime soon.

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Read more about the Coke bottle and the huge battle for global cola supremacy here: The Coke Bottle

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