The Coca-Cola “contour” bottle was designed by the Root Glass Company in Terre-Haute, Indiana in 1915. So it is 100 years old this year.
According to Coke, it "offered a distinct package for an already ubiquitous product launched in 1886". The design was created as a result of a competition that "challenged bottle manufacturers to develop a container recognisable even if broken on the ground or touched in the dark."
The bottle’s colour, Georgia Green, was a Coca-Cola dictate - a tribute to the brand's home state. Over the years it has been called the "hobbleskirt bottle," after a fashion trend in the 1920s, and the "Mae West," a reference to the actress's famous curves, according to Coke.
In 1977, the bottle was granted registration as a trademark by the US Patent Office.
Coca-Cola has been struggling of late with competition from newer, healthier drinks – some of which are its siblings. So the anniversary campaign that will run in 100 countries is running at the same time as the company embarks on a cost-cutting program targeting US$3 billion in annualised savings by 2019. These plans include pouring some of the savings into brand-building. Last year, Coca-Cola announced that it would add between US$250 million and US$350 million in global media investment in 2015.
"When we fully fund our brands with high quality marketing, we see results," chief financial officer, Kathy Waller, stated at the campaign presentation on 20 February.
Coca-Cola chief executive officer, Muhtar Kent, told the audience at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Florida, 16-20 February, that Coke will use the 100th anniversary year of the bottle to “make the most of this enduring symbol of refreshment and happiness across the world.”
He explained that the ads for the campaign focus on the “beautiful design innovation and sensory aesthetics”, which he considers to be elements that will drive the Coca-Cola business forward. He added that the ads have tested well in demonstrating the brand’s commitment to improving the quality of its advertising and marketing. They are "a great example of how we're thinking about the effectiveness of our marketing," he concluded.
The campaign will use the platform, Open Happiness, and one of its themes will be "100 years of phsst, fizzzz, clink clink, glug, glug … ahhh."
Coca-Cola kicked off its new undertaking to "fully fund our brands with high quality marketing" during this year's Academy Awards broadcast, with lifestyle ads for both regular and Diet Coke. Coke also posted an edited version of its new A Generous World ad (below) on Facebook to coincide with the awards broadcast.
The ad's YouTube message is: “No matter who you are, or whatever life throws at you, there's always someone out there who could use a Coke a little more than you. Who would you share one with?”
The ad shows a series of scenes in which handing someone a classic bottle of Coke makes them feel better after a series of escalating calamities. The teaser version ended before viewers could see what was casting a large shadow on the earth. Social media users were encouraged to view the video and channel their "inner screenwriters" to comment on who they thought would get the next Coke, using #AndTheCokeGoesTo.
The day following the awards, Coke posted the full video, with a surprise ending. As of mid-afternoon, the teaser version had been viewed nearly 650,000 times on Facebook so far, and was showing more than 8,400 likes and 1,000 shares. And within an hour of posting, the full version had pulled more than 8,600 views on the social site.
The bottle campaign is currently being housed on the Coca-Cola international Journey site, under videos, on YouTube and in social media. it is not yet known where else they will be shown.
Here are the four that have been released so far:
