10 Times Coca-Cola Changed Its Iconic Packaging

Since it was founded in 1886, the Coca-Cola company has constantly invented and reinvented its iconic brand, which now reaches almost every corner of the world. Long before the company was creating Star Wars-themed bottles for Disney, its original goal was to create a bottle so recognizable that it could be identified by feel as easily as by sight. From there, the company collaborated with designers to do just that, and the bottle is now arguably as distinctive as the taste of the refreshing beverage itself. 

The company quickly realized that to thwart competition from other soda companies and protect itself from copycats, it needed to create and trademark its packaging. Soon enough, the contour, long-necked bottle became synonymous with Coca-Cola. Through manufacturing improvements and sustainability efforts, the legendary Coke bottle we're all familiar with today has undergone several evolutions since the beginning of the 20th century and continues to evolve today. We dove into Coca-Cola's rich history and found 10 times the company changed its iconic packaging.

Despite being one of the world's most influential brands, a long history of reinvention means that there's probably still a lot you don't know about Coca-Cola, including how it came to be bottled. Coca-Cola was first introduced in 1886 as a fountain drink by Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist who crafted the syrup and mixed it with carbonated water to sell by the glass at his pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. At that time, Pemberton sold the drink for only 5 cents per glass. The fountain drink quickly rose in popularity, and by 1899, lawyers Joseph Whitehead and Benjamin Thomas came to Atlanta to secure the rights to bottle Coca-Cola.

The soda was originally bottled in standard Hutchinson bottles, which were typical for the time period. These bottles had straight edges and were typically clear or brown. Most drinks were sold in this kind of bottle at the time, and there hadn't yet been much innovation in bottle design. However, as other soda companies began copying their new beverages, the company began to embark on a design evolution to make Coca-Cola distinct from every other brand in the soda industry.

As other companies started to rip off Coca-Cola, the company quickly grew tired of fighting infringement lawsuits against other bottling companies. Litigation processes typically took years, and there were increasingly more companies attempting to profit from the Coca-Cola company's innovation. In an effort to differentiate its product, the company started branding Coke bottles with a diamond-shaped label. They hoped this would be enough to establish the brand and eliminate any confusion among consumers.

Unfortunately, some copycats, such as the brand Koca-Nola, even ripped off the diamond label and tried to pass off their product as Coca-Cola. Additionally, it quickly became clear that the diamond labels were not a long-term solution because the paper labels would often slide off the bottles due to the condensation forming on the cold beverages. The company agreed that it needed more than a distinctive logo; the packaging itself needed to be completely unique.

In 1914, the company turned to Harold Hirsch, the leading attorney for the soda producer at the time, to help secure a bottle that would be distinctive and protected from copycats. With cooperation and $500 of funding from the Coca-Cola Bottling Association, all parties agreed to get to work designing a bottle that would stand the test of time. Several glass companies were given the assignment to make an identifiable and unforgettable bottle design, but one design from an Indiana company clearly stood out.

On November 16, 1915, the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana patented the contour bottle that has become so iconic and synonymous with the Coke brand. This original Coca-Cola bottle shape was inspired by a cocoa bean, being long with distinct edges. To honor its creators, the date the patent was granted was incorporated into the bottle's final design.

Eight years after the patent was granted and the first contour Coke bottle was created, the patent needed to be renewed for the first time. It was customary that the patent office issued patents on the Tuesday of each week, and in 1923, the renewal happened to fall on Christmas Day. The date on the bottle was changed to December 25, 1923, and this version of the bottle quickly became known as the "Christmas Bottle".

At this point, almost all bottlers were using the new glass bottles, and the shape was becoming widely known through large national advertising campaigns. Every bottle produced between 1923 and 1937 (when the patent was renewed again) had the Christmas Day imprint on the glass, and some people have even saved some of these bottles to this day. Collectors can expect to pay upward of $100 for these antique glass bottles.

Until 1955, the soda had only been offered in 6½-ounce bottles or as a fountain drink. To meet consumer demand and provide shareable options, the company introduced two new sizes of the contour bottle (also referred to as the hobbleskirt bottle in a nod to a 1920s fashion trend). The King-sized bottles were 10 and 12 ounces while the Family-sized bottles were 26 ounces. The original 6½-ounce glass bottles weighed more than a pound so you can only imagine what these larger bottles weighed!

At this point Coca-Cola had been featured in Time magazine, becoming the first commercial product to do so and officially making it an international brand. The new King- and Family-sized bottles were first released only in the U.S., and these new bottles marked the beginning of a long line of various sizes and packaging materials that Coca-Cola would offer consumers in the coming years.

Not long after the larger glass bottles were introduced, Coca-Cola introduced the first drink cans in 1960. The original version of the cans featured an image of the iconic contour Coke bottle on them so that consumers would easily recognize the product. They also featured the characteristic bright red color that Coca-Cola has become known for.

Interestingly, the idea of canning Coca-Cola had been tested prior to World War II but the steel required was not readily available during the war so the cans weren't fully rolled out until 1960. Before the 1950s, a can opener was required to open most cans, but the 12-ounce Coca-Cola cans featured an early version of the ring pull tab which allowed consumers to drink more easily on the go without a separate can opener. While some argue that Coke simply tastes better out of a glass bottle, the introduction of the first Coca-Cola can was one of many examples of the company's commitment to growth and innovation.

In 1978, both Coca-Cola and its competitor Pepsi Co. introduced plastic bottles. The type of plastic, PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), is used today in more than 70% of drink containers because it's lighter than glass and 100% recyclable. These new plastic bottles were a far cry from the older and heavier 6½-ounce glass bottles that met consumer demand for enjoying soda on the go. PET plastic is often considered better for the environment because it requires less water to produce and creates less solid waste than both glass and aluminum.

Years later, in 1993, the Coca-Cola company released the first 20-ounce plastic bottles in a contour shape mimicking that of the glass bottle. It was around this time that the company also created its very first recycled plastic bottles, signifying its commitment to sustainability practices that it continues to carry out today.

In the '90s, the company continued to test new and innovative ways to package Coca-Cola. One example of this was the aluminum contour cans which were test-marketed in 1997. These 12-ounce cans had a similar shape to the original bottles and were sold in 6-packs.

A man named Kornick Lindsey is credited with the design of the aluminum contour can, which he created in collaboration with Coca-Cola in an effort to capitalize on the recognizable contour shape that the company had patented so many years ago. That year, the design won the Food and Drug Packaging Magazine's 1997 Package of the Year award. However, the contour can was not widely distributed, likely because it was much more costly to create cans in this unique shape compared to the straight-walled Coke cans we're all familiar with. However, for Coca-Cola enthusiasts, some collectors do sell these vintage cans online.

In a continued effort to dedicate itself to sustainable practices while maintaining brand recognition, the Coca-Cola company released the contour-shaped aluminum bottle that's still sold today. In 2005, the first versions of the lightweight aluminum contour bottles were released in what was known as the "Magnificent 5" or M5 series. Three years later, in 2008, the design evolved with the help of David Butler, the Vice President of Global Design for the Coca-Cola company.

Butler collaborated with design companies from five different continents to reimagine the contour bottle in aluminum form, winning the Design Grand Prix award at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival as a result. He explained that the design process for a brand as large as Coke requires a "holistic approach" that focuses on designs that serve the business, satisfy the consumer, and incorporate sustainability.

As of 2024, the Coca-Cola company made a big change toward sustainability and announced its long-term goals to significantly reduce water usage, increase the use of recyclable materials, and reduce emissions by 2035. It released new PET plastic bottles in May 2024 that are significantly slimmer than the previous design. The new bottles are lighter and use less plastic than earlier bottles but maintain the classic contour shape.

The aim is for 30-35% of the plastic used in its packaging processes to come from recycled materials by 2035. It's also investing in partnerships to ensure that 70-75% of bottles and cans are collected so that the packaging may be recycled and single-use plastics can be reduced. These efforts are all part of the "World Without Waste" initiative that aims to incorporate more ethical environmental production practices and materials into the global brand.