HP and Coca-Cola Are at it Again: Millions of One-of-a-Kind Bottles on the Way

A play on the iconic contoured Coca-Cola bottle shape, Diet Coke is about the take the 100-year-old design and make things a little more interesting. Starting Feb. 1, Diet Coke, with the help of HP Indigo digital printing technology, released millions of one-of-a-kind, 12-oz. glass Diet Coke bottles as part of the launch of the IT’S MINE program, the first of its kind for Diet Coke in the United States.

The IT’S MINE program is an initiative started as part of the larger Get a Taste campaign — which launched in September 2014 — an integrated campaign dedicated to celebrating the reason why Diet Coke drinkers are so devoted to the bubbly drink. The campaign was designed to remind people why they fell in love with Diet Coke in the first place, touting the motto: “What if life tasted as good as Diet Coke?”

“The launch of the IT’S MINE program is a continued celebration of our fans’ unique, steadfast love for the delicious taste of Diet Coke,” said Rafael Acevedo, group director, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola North America, in a release.

In 2011, Coca-Cola launched the “Share a Coke” campaign in Australia — creating hundreds of name-personalized bottles — and rolled it out in the United States during the summer of 2014. Now, as a shout out to the diversity of Diet Coke fans across the United States, Diet Coke, with the help of HP Inc., has created 36 “base” designs that were transformed into millions of unique designs with HP’s SmartStream Mosaic software. The designs were inspired by the bubbles, fizz, taste and spirit of Diet Coke. Not only did Diet Coke launch the 12-oz. contour glass bottles on Feb. 1, it will also launch a variety of 7.5-oz. mini cans, 8.5-oz. aluminum bottles, 12- and 16 oz. cans, and 500 mL and 20-oz. PET bottles in a select number of patterns.

“HP is reinventing printing with technologies like HP SmartStream Mosaic software, enabling leading brands like Diet Coke to reinvent traditional packaging into unique pieces of art not once possible,” said Gary Bernier, strategic business and brand development manager at HP.

To spread the word on the colorful new packaging, Diet Coke is hosting a number of events and promotions to get fans excited for the launch, including a pop-up fashion house experience in New York City with celebrity stylist Brad Goreski; the chance of winning a $10,000 wardrobe picked out by Goreski and a year’s supply of Diet Coke; TV spots; social media content; digital video; and in-store, print and out-of-home advertising to showcase several bottle designs.

In the past year, the HP SmartStream software has influenced companies to create unique packaging that will stand out to the consumer, as SKU proliferation is beginning to crowd the shelves. Recently, Bud Light partnered with HP to create millions of can designs using SmartStream Mosaic Software for a summer music festival. With just 31 different designs, the software allowed Bud Light to create 31 million unique designs at its fingertips, ready to be printed.