Coca-Cola plays with packaging for a handful of brands this summer. First up is a POWERade tie-in with Matrix: Reloaded, with a special Matrix flavor and bottles in stores through June. The black cherry, lime and anise concoction is POWERade’s first promotional flavor, a tack other Coke brands have used in the past. The angular bottle and green label bear Matrix images. TV and print tagged “Drink More” and P-O-P displays headlined, “The Matrix Has You” support.
At the same time, POWERade rolls out promotional packaging touting its National Hot Rod Association sponsorship. NHRA fans vote online for their favorite package design. The winning label appears in stores through the summer racing season.
Nestea, a Coke brand, puts Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle on collectible cans in 12-packs, timed to the film’s June 27 release.
Separately, Vanilla Coke and Cherry Coke get hip label makeovers for summer. Vanilla Coke, dubbed “V Coke” by teens, gets a simple V on 20-ounce bottles. Cherry Coke gets an illustration of a cherry to replace its name on 20-ounce bottles. Both debut in June to run through mid-August.
Atlanta-based Coke played with packaging in the first quarter when it sampled Coca-Cola Classic in slim 8.4-ounce cans as part of its Coca-Cola “Real” campaign (March PROMO). Coke distributed one million samples and may bring the slim can to retail.
Coke is even modifying empty cups. A partnership with Georgia-Pacific has spawned contoured plastic Dixie cups and paper cups with Coke graphics. Coke wanted to bring contour cups to supermarkets after the success of its classic contour cup at fountain outlets.
In other news, Coke is readying a multi-million dollar broadcast, print, sampling and promo campaign for Sprite Remix, a tropical flavor that launched nationally April 21. The line extension targets teens who mix Sprite with other flavors at fountain outlets. Remix scored Coke’s highest-ever ratings in new-product testing among consumers.
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