'Thanda mathlab' ...... ice (cool) Coca Cola..

A couple of decades ago, there was this ‘local Pepsi’ which made ripples…. It was simply ice – not in the usual form with a stick [kuchi ice] – but ice in a thin polythene cover – one can roll the cover, make the ice come out and eat it….it was a great hit and sold well…. Success depends on marketing, creating and promoting brand image, making the product available at every nook and corner as also in  making it easy to carry …..

I had recently posted about the panneer soda [which was a hit – not only the variant but the  post too… as I got so many responses…!] ~ the soda was sort of National drink of yesteryears. In political meetings the speaker in the midst of  an enthralling speech,  would be offered a soda – the thirst quencher.  The ‘goli soda’  bottles were potent weapons too  – especially when it came to dispersing crowds by unruly rowdy elements…. that post was about a South Indian manufacturer – Kali Mark competing strongly with the multinational Coke, Pepsi and giving them a run too…

‘thanda mathlab Coca cola’….. cool means Coke was one of the ad campaigns launched earlier….. cool ~ ice-cool !?!?

One must admit that what popularized Coke & Pepsi – was not only the aggressive marketing and money power – also their innovation and making the product reach the customer with ease.  Bottles have some inherent disadvantage – hard to transport and take on hand; could break, spill and injure and costly as container and one starts suspecting the hygiene when refilled.  The MNCs soon started using the Pet bottles made of pet resin extrusion and molded.  Then came the performs – of  Polyethylene Teraphthalate, a polymer formed by combining two monomers called modified ethylene glycol and purified teraphthalic acid.  These would be expanded and then injected at the factories of beverages…….

Here is something more cool literally  ~ of Coca Cola in soda bottle made entirely out of ice that melts as you drink ~ a virtual no bottle…. Here are some excerpts from the report that appeared in Daily Mail.

Coca Cola has released a new bottle made entirely of ice. Currently only available in Colombia, the design is being marketed as eco friendly since it melts after the coke is consumed, meaning there is nothing left to throw away or recycle. A Spanish advertisement for Botello de Hielo (bottle of ice) shows beach-goers enjoying the ice cold beverages on a hot day, and then letting their bottles melt away in the sand.

Science: To create the bottles, the company fills silicone molds with water, freezes them at -13 degrees Fahrenheit and then fills the molds with Coke. Each of them is then etched with the Coca Cola logo. The bottles are wrapped around the middle with red rubber labels in order to prevent frozen fingers. Once the bottle disappears, the labels double as snap bracelets. According to the soda brand's website, the bottles have been a hit in beachy Colombia, where vendors are selling an average of 265 an hour.

Hygienic? While they are being marketed as eco-friendly, some have expressed their concern that the bottles are unsanitary, since ice absorbs the dirt and germs from its surroundings.  Some have expressed their concern that the bottles aren't cost effective to produce, since it most likely requires extra energy to keep the bottles frozen during distribution. Some Coke drinkers who prefer to savor the taste have shared their worry that the short-lived bottles put a time limit on drinking it up.  

While Coca Cola doesn't explain this on its website, some have speculated that the frozen bottles are filled with Coke on site, once they reach the beaches. Others have pointed out that the sugar and additives in the soda lower its freezing point in comparison to water. There are, as of yet, not plans to bring the ice bottle to the U.S. or other countries. Coca Cola isn't the first soda brand to involve ice in its innovative marketing strategy. In April, 7Up set up a vending machine in the streets of Buenos Aeries, Argentina, called the Melting Machine. The machine, made an entirely of ice, melted as passers-by grabbed cans of the beverage.

Interesting and innovative  certainly.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.