Coca-Cola Contour Bottle Merchandiser Takes Cue from Packaging

Coca-Cola claims that its classic, curved bottle is the "most recognized trademarked package in the world," so in 1993, the company brought back the famous shape in the form of a 20-ounce plastic contour bottle. Since June 1995, a larger-than-life contour bottle merchandiser has been helping to sell six-packs of the popular 20-ouncer."We wanted to get the genuine Coke-bottle look out there while cutting through the clutter," says Carl Sweat, brand manager of Coca-Cola Classic at Coca-Cola USA in Atlanta. The 7-foot tall, injection-molded plastic display, covered with brilliantly colored graphics, snaps together into a cross-section, so that from any angle, the customer sees the outline of the contour bottle. Three shelves hold 96 six-packs of Coke and Diet Coke.The display is meant to be used as an end-of-aisle or freestanding unit. Its relatively narrow width -- 31 inches -- makes it flexible, says Sweat. "We've found that because the display takes up mostly vertical space, it has many opportunities to be placed where the traffic is." Since unrefrigerated soda is often an impulse buy, Coca-Cola hopes the display will catch the eye of a customer who's come into the store for something else. Suggestions for placement are near a bakery in a supermarket or near the video section in a convenience store.Designed and manufactured by Englewood, N.J.-based Henschel-Steinau, the display ships flat and can be set up in less than 10 minutes. In the event of damage to one part of the display, each panel can be replaced individually without taking the whole thing apart. Since its introduction into stores last summer, the display has been an enormous success, says Sweat. "Sales in stores with the racks are triple those in stores without it."

Coca-Cola Contour Bottle Merchandiser Takes Cue from Packaging

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