Does the bottle sell the brand?

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

Timeless

Recently, I spoke with my sister about logos. We were talking about the Holiday Inn rebrand. I was saying that for many companies, routine brand updates are essential. However, one company that we both agreed looks good no matter what is Coca-Cola. Despite its age, it has such a fresh look. Of course, this can be attributed to their unique commercial and print ads, however, I believe that Frank Mason Robinson did something great with Coca-Cola's logo. I don't regularly like script typefaces, but this is one that I can get down with. Hit the jump for some classic and recent Coca-Cola advertising.