ATLANTA -- Coca-Cola North America has launched a newly designed 20-oz. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) contour bottle for all of its Coca-Cola brands, with a new easy-to-hold and easy-to-open design.
A new take on the current 20-oz. contour bottle launched in 1993, the new bottle has added texture and grip enhancements that make it easier to hold and a shorter cap that makes it easier to open. Its features an embossed Coca-Cola logo similar to the glass contour bottle and the signature ribbon.
The bottle's new design is completely [image-nocss] recyclable and uses 5% less PET than its predecessor, which makes it better for the environment as well.
The new contour bottle began rolling out in convenience stores on September 4 and will be available nationwide by early next year.
Coca-Cola NA conducted extensive consumer research for the new contour bottle, it said. The design now being launched was a clear winner with consumers, with 92% of those surveyed saying they had a positive opinion of the new package, said the company.
The contour bottle launch will be supported with an integrated marketing plan to drive awareness and excitement including out-of-home and radio advertising, and the refreshed design will be integrated into all national, local and customer programs and point-of-sale (POS) merchandise, such as displays, coolers, vending machines and posters. Consumer communications will carry the tagline "Get a Grip on Your Thirst."
Atlanta-based Coca-Cola also announced it is investing more than $60 million to build the world's largest plastic-bottle-to-bottle recycling plant and support recycling. These investments are part of a comprehensive goal to recycle or reuse 100% of the company's PET plastic bottles in the United States.
The new 30-acre Spartanburg, S.C., plant will open in 2008 and will be fully operational in 2009.
The company also has introduced a line of merchandise made out of recycled PET bottles.
Coca-Cola Co. also recently announced that it has reached distribution agreements with its bottling partners and glaceau distributors for its newly acquired glaceau brands: smartwater, vitaminwater and vitaminenergy.
Bottlers representing 99% of the company's U.S. bottler-delivered volume have signed on to distribute the glaceau portfolio. Several current glaceau distributors, including Big Geyser (New York City), Haralambos (Los Angeles County), Kalil (primarily Arizona), John Lenore & Co. (San Diego County) and Honickman (portions of several mid-Atlantic states) will also continue distribution of the glaceau portfolio in these territories. In certain channels such as club stores, natural food stores, and certain foodservice customers, distribution of the glaceau portfolio of brands will be managed directly by Coca-Cola NA's glaceau unit.
Distribution of glaceau products through these bottlers and distributors is expected to begin before the end of this year.
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE) said it will carry all major package sizes and flavors of each brand in the majority of its U.S. territories and channels beginning November 5.
And Coca-Cola has purchased a 20% stake in beverage developer Brain-Twist Inc., reported Bloomberg. New York City-based Brain-Twist has created drinks including Cinnabon canned coffee and Defense vitamin and mineral beverages. The company was founded by Larry Trachtenbroit, who in 2001 sold his Planet Java bottled coffee drinks to Coca-Cola.
Trachtenbroit worked as a consultant for Coca-Cola for a few years before starting Brain-Twist in 2004.
Scott Williamson, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola, declined to say how much it paid. Beverage Digest said in July the company may spend about $5 million for the stake.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola unit Simply Orange Juice Co. has added two new products to its Simply line: Simply Apple, a pure-pressed, 100% not-from-concentrate premium apple juice; and Simply Grapefruit, a 100% not-from-concentrate premium grapefruit juice. Both juices will begin shipping to retailers in mid-September.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.