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October 10, 2006
Celebrating 90 Years of the Coca-Cola Contour Bottle
2006 marks the 90th anniversary of the Coca-Cola contour bottle. A treasured hallmark, the contour bottle has achieved iconic status since its creation in 1916.
For many years, the contour bottle was the recognizable face of Coca-Cola, appearing in advertising campaigns that were designed to build the emotional connections that consumers have with the brand. Through these campaigns and indeed, through the evolution of the package itself, the life and times of the Coca-Cola contour bottle have often reflected the changing world that we live in.
Ninety years after its creation, the contour bottle remains a symbol of innovation, instantly differentiating the world's best known soft drink from all other products.
Widely recognized as a pioneering example of package-driven branding, the contour bottle is one of the few packages to ever receive a trademark from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, helping to make Coca-Cola one of the most famous brands in the world today. Even today, the contour bottle plays a key role in the Company's advertising.
Over the years, the Company has leveraged the equity established in the contour bottle to help advance innovation in the Coke brand. All Coca-Cola trademark brands released globally - from Diet Coke (1982) to Coke Blak (2006) - are proudly packaged in contour bottles.
The contour bottle continues to inspire creativity with today's leading designers. In 2005, Coca-Cola partnered with five of the world's top design firms to develop the Coca-Cola M5 collection of contour aluminium bottles, targeting young trendsetters.
"The contour goes to the very root of what makes Coca-Cola special," explains Phil Mooney, director of Archives, The Coca-Cola Company. "It creates a unique visual identity for the brand that is, arguably, as cherished as the beverage itself."
Over the years the contour bottle has carved out a career beyond simple refreshment. In the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy," a tribe of Bushmen assume that the Coca-Cola contour bottle is a message from heaven, resulting in total pandemonium. The contour bottle also has appeared alongside Hollywood stars in movies such as "A Walk on the Moon," "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Catch Me if You Can."
The art world also has embraced the appeal of the contour bottle. Making art out of daily life, Andy Warhol's "Green Coca-Cola Bottles" confirmed the contour bottle's place in pop culture history. Other artists, including Howard Finster, Tom Wesselmann, Ulrich Walter and Carlos Vergar have featured the contour bottle in their masterpieces.
Originally designed to hold 6.5-ounces of Coca-Cola, the contour bottle has become bigger than life in some parts of the country. A 38-foot folk art contour bottle made of batting helmets, gloves, bats and baseballs sits above the left field fence at Atlanta's Turner Field; in Las Vegas, a four-story bottle marks the entrance to the Coca-Cola store; and in New York, a 30-ton, 40-foot, sculptural, interactive sign often featuring the familiar contour shape welcomes visitors to Times Square.
Advertising for the contour bottle has reflected the changing times. For the last five decades, the original contour bottle has been the most prominently used package in television advertising for Coca-Cola around the world. From connecting the bottle with Santa Claus to recent spots showing 'The Coke Side of Life(TM),' the ads feature the proprietary bottle as a part of a story line, stirring emotions within consumers and reminding them why they love Coke.
Over the years, the Company has leveraged the equity established in the contour bottle to help advance innovation in the Coke brand. All Coca-Cola trademark brands released globally - from Diet Coke (1982) to Coke Blak (2006) - are proudly packaged in contour bottles.
"We have taken one of the iconic pieces of our business and translated it into modern packaging," said Eugenio Mendez, global group brand manager, Coca- Cola Franchise. "It is remarkable and inspiring to think that our legacy of unique packaging lives on today because of something created 90 years ago."
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:18 AM | Link to this Post
