What do the reusable bottle crates of the future look like? Which new requirements do they have to fulfill? Which roles do demographic change, different household sizes and new requirements on living space play?  Coca-Cola Germany wants to know – and with the Coca-Cola Design+ Award is now offering young creatives a platform in order to search for new concept ideas for the bottle crate of the future. Not an easy task: after all, in Germany Coca-Cola bottle crates are already versatile, practical and environmentally-friendly. And new concepts should also be practical and environmentally-friendly with a modern, original design.

The different requirements on the reusable bottle crate of the future will be evaluated by an expert jury. It will be made up of industry specialists from Coca-Cola, representatives from the “Love Green” initiative, the editor-in-chief of consumer magazine “Guter Rat”, the publishing manager of the living magazine H.O.M.E. and the founder of the website for mothers “NetMoms”. Together they will award the winners of the Coca-Cola Design+ Awards.

Aim:
With this design contest Coca-Cola Germany is searching for concept ideas for the bottle crate of the future.

The Coca-Cola Design+ Award is oriented on the Coca-Cola sustainability strategy "Live Positively". The packaging is one of the focuses of the worldwide strategy. The requirements on reusable Coca-Cola bottle crate are therefore extremely high – it should be practical, environmentally-friendly and as light to transport as possible. And it goes without saying that it should also look good and fit into the image of a modern living space.

Coca-Cola Germany will reward the best design concepts with prize money totaling 25,000 Euros – including special prizes in the categories Design, User-Friendliness and Environment.

Coca-Cola Germany is using the contest as an opportunity to support young designers and promote creativity. The way the jury is made up should also raise awareness of the increasing demands on sustainability: after all, environmental-friendliness and demographic challenges like changing household sizes due to increasing number of singles and seniors should be reflected in the design’s form and function. The competition is not the basis for a mere remake of the bottle crates already on the market.

Special prize for Design
The jury will award a special prize to the design concept that depicts the Coca-Cola brand icon in the most exciting way.

Special prize for Environment
The most promising and far-sighted environment concept will be awarded by the environmental experts from Love Green with a special prize.

Special prize for User-Friendliness
The concept design, which best takes into account the individual requirements of different user groups, will be rewarded by the experts in modern consumer requirements with the User-Friendliness special prize.

Develop the Coca-Cola reusable crate of the future

a) which represents a new Coca-Cola design icon:
The current reusable bottle crate by Coca-Cola proves itself in millions of German households every day. But how could the bottle crate of the future look? We are looking for a crate that is so stylish and appealing that customers will proudly want to present in their living spaces, instead of hiding it in the garage.

b) which contributes to achieving Coca-Cola’s sustainability goals:
Coca-Cola is interested in your ideas of how, from an environmental point of view, the bottle crate could be further optimized in the future. You should also bear in mind the construction and weight, as well as the material used.

c) which fulfills the functional demands of the future customers:
The Coca-Cola bottle crate must fulfill the demands of all users. It should be as light as possible, easy to carry, transportable, stackable and suitable for storage. You should also consider the needs of special user groups like singles, families or seniors.

• The target group of Coca-Cola bottle crates is, basically, everyone who buys drinks.
• The target groups of singles, families and seniors should also be taken into consideration.
• The new crate should of course primarily impress Germany’s Coca-Cola and design lovers.

The design of your bottle crate should very clearly speak the “Coca-Cola language”

• It should be functional and highly emotional at the same time
• It should be environmentally-friendly but not an “organic crate”
• It should be stylish and live up to the Coca-Cola brand icon

Design

• The recognition factor of the Coca-Cola brand through the contoured bottle, the lettering and the red and white color scheme must be guaranteed.
• The bottle crate should look so good that customers will want to present it in their living spaces.

Production

• It must be possible to industrially produce and mechanically refill the crate.
• The bottle crate must be reusable - i.e. washable and refillable.
• You have free rein in the choice of materials.
• It must be possible to produce the bottle crate within a competitive budget.

User-friendliness

• The reusable bottle crate should be as convenient as possible for the end consumer to transport.
• The bottle crate should be stackable.
• So the reusable bottle crate can be transported for retailers it should fit flush, i.e. without overlap or underlap, on a euro-pallet (with the basic measurements of 120x80cm). The maximum height of the crates stacked on one pallet is 165cm.
• Take into consideration the stability of the crate, as three palettes have to be stacked on top of one another.

Bottle

• The contoured bottle of Coca-Cola is the core element of the brand and should be maintained as such, also in its proportions. The 1-liter bottle has the following measurements:
• Diameter at the thickest section: 80mm
• Height: 295mm (without top)
• However, you can vary the quantity of Coca-Cola in the bottle and the size of the bottle, as you consider appropriate for the user of the future.
• It is up to you how many bottles you include in one crate.

Overall concept

• Please explain and justify your overall concept, i.e. the choice of bottle size, bottle number, functionality and material of your reusable bottle.

Important information: Coca-Cola, Coke, the contour bottle, the dynamic wave and all featured brand labels are registered trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company holds the exclusive copyrights to all of the materials provided, which may solely be used for the ideas submitted within the confines of this contest. Use outside of the contest is prohibited.

Usefull links:

• coca-cola.de
• Coca-Cola Nachhaltigkeitsbericht
• 125 Jahre Coca-Cola
• Coca-Cola.com
• The Coca-Cola Company

Click on the following links to download working material and additional information related to the project.

• Coca-Cola Design Elements