So, I stumbled upon this little article about making Coca-Cola greener by changing its trademark bottle. Emphasis on trademark bottle. The shape of the Coca-Cola bottle is part of the company's brand. The company has built trust and tradition on its shape and the new design would make it into a long-ish rectangle. My question? Would the world stop drinking Coke if it was shaped like a rectangle? Is their brand defined only by the signature shape of their beverage containers? Can they not up and change their brand like Pepsi did—even though we all know their updated logo is awfully ugly—and still keep their following?
The new design would be better for shipping and encourage recycling.
I think at first there would be confusion. Then, there would be speculation followed by a sort of curiosity. Finally, there would be acceptance. Then, it would become normal. The same thing happened with the iPod when it first started. But hey, I like Coca-Cola's current brand image and I think they have a lot of equity in it. What do you think?
Images and story via DesignersCouch
Honestly, I know dumb this may seem, but drastically different bottle would make me want to buy coke.
ReplyDeleteChange isn't a bad thing ;)