From Michael Mochizuki, Small World Collectibles, Maui, HI : There is a new list of miniature bottles that I have to currently offer (December, 2002). Check it out << CLICK HERE >> 

From Richard Mix : I managed to secure a FEW of the new CCE 2002 Procurement bottles and am offering them on a first-come-first-served basis for $60 each + shipping.   These bottles were issued at a recent Coca-Cola Enterprises meeting for CCE procurement employees...Someone sold one on ebay last night for over $300!!   Click on the link below to see the auction - where you can also see a picture of the bottle. --CEE Procurement Bottle--  If you are interested, please email me back immediately and I will reserve a bottle for you.  I only have a very few - so please hurry if you are interested.  
I also have a limited number of the Las Vegas World of Coke Christmas bottles in route to me.  These bottles are similar to the Atlanta Holiday High Lights bottles and also come in a special tube.  The price for these is $22.50 each + shipping. Limit for these two bottles is one per person (I want to make sure that everyone has a chance to get one for their collection). 
Finally, I have the recently released Knoxville Coca-Cola 100th Anniversary bottles.  These unique and beautiful bottles are $4 each + shipping.  I currently have this and over 20 other Bottler 100th Anniversary bottles currently posted on ebay - be sure to take this opportunity to fill in holes in your 100th Anniversary bottle collection. --click here to see--

PepsiCo unveiled a new packaging graphics for its Pepsi-Cola and Caffeine-Free Pepsi-Cola at the Beverage Digest Future Smarts conference. The new designs are expected to be in the shops by March, which incorporates the Pepsi globe but the name "Pepsi" is printed in a bolder type with a touch of silver. Ice shards highlight the blue background giving a deeper, three-dimension perspective. Meanwhile, the cans will have the name "Pepsi" across the top rather than along the side.

In the meantime, it has been known since August that there were plans for a makeover for Coke Classic, Diet Coke and Sprite. However, the latest word is that there are now plans to revamp packaging for the whole cola range, including caffeine-free colas and colas with lemon flavoring. The new look brands will be available from next year. All of the new cola designs will feature the famous Coke ribbon. Diet Coke has not featured the ribbon since 1997, the last time the product was redesigned. The cans will feature two variants on the silver coloring used on Diet Coke at the moment.

So, my question is: Does the packaging have THAT much to do with what you buy to drink? Or do taste, personal preference and what's on sale make more difference ? Send your comments to My Opinion

Cadbury Schweppes is close to re-licensing its 7Up brand in the US after it was announced that it was to be dropped from the distribution system of Pepsi Bottling group in June. 7Up will be licensed to independent bottlers and distributors in various parts of the US, which will take effect from the beginning of 2003. The agreements also will expand 7Up into territories for some Pepsi bottlers retaining the brand.

Coca-Cola has entered into a marketing agreement with mall operator Simon Property Group, which had been doing business with PepsiCo Inc.'s Pepsi-Cola division for several years. The alliance, which begins in January, covers vending, sponsorships, promotion and advertising across the vast Simon franchise, which includes promotional and exclusive vending rights within the common areas of Simon properties in the US. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Also on the same day, Pepsi announced that it renewed its marketing agreement with Chicago-based mall operator General Growth Properties in a five-year deal. General Growth is the second-largest mall operator in the country behind Simon, which is based in Indianapolis and owns, or has an interest in, 249 properties totaling nearly 186 million square feet in 36 states.

More...
Coca-Cola's invisible CEO
Coca-Cola Decides That Silence Is Golden

New bottles or cans, or anything soda, in your area ?
Please send the info so all of us can know @ Whats New

Any new events  in your area? Mail so all of us can know, to: Events

 A unique 1944 Royal Crown Cola yellow label only bottle is up for bid on eBay. According to the seller, it is a standard RC Cola glass shell of the Oakland, CA, Owens-Illinois Glass Plant, modified to not require the red color portion of the label.

It appears to be special order for the Ventura-Santa Barbara, CA, Nehi bottler in the yellow color only. The background behind the pyramids is yellow, and the normally red banner term "COLA" is simply open to allow the product color to show through.

This is the first one of its type I have seen, and if this is so, the there should be a Nehi deco label bottle made the same way... 

Any comments???
From Michael Elling, Sharon, TN

If you have a soda-related subject that you would like to see here as an "FYI" article, or have information you yourself would like to contribute, don't be shy, send it to: FYI Idea

Coca-Cola survey finds half of Canadian children think Jolly Old St. Nick is 100! 

Everyone knows that the image of Santa Claus is synonymous with the holiday season, inciting excitement among children at this time of year. But have you ever asked yourself how old he is? 

The 2002 Coca-Cola Santa Survey reports that Canadian children from age four through eight believe that Mr. Claus is 100 years old. In fact, the modern image of Santa Claus was created 71 years ago when Haddon Sundblom created him for The Coca-Cola Company's advertising campaign. 

Today, we still know and love this image of Santa with his red suit, rosy cheeks and a round belly, and Coca-Cola still uses the Sundblom image in their advertising initiatives.

"Coca-Cola has used Sundblom's Santa Claus in marketing initiatives since 1931. This year people will find images of Santa on most of our packaging of Coca-Cola Classic soft drinks," said Sandra Shatilla, National Promotions and Innovation Manager, Coca-Cola Ltd. "Sundblom created a loveable image of Santa, one that strikes a chord with families during the holidays. To tell our Santa story, we thought it would be fun to reach out to children and find out what holiday traditions they practice every year."

The Coca-Cola Santa Survey also revealed that in the off-season, kids think Santa likes to partake in activities such as going to the beach, the zoo and playing golf among others. But when the snow starts to fall and the holidays approach, sending letters to the "jolly old elf" is still a popular practice today with over 75 per cent of children surveyed saying they send in their wish list to the North Pole every Holiday season. 

And how do these children repay Mr. Claus for delivering on their requests? Over 80 per cent report sticking with the tradition of leaving Santa a glass of milk to quench his thirst from his long journey.

Before Sundblom created the modern day Santa Claus, Santa was portrayed as everything from a gnome to a troll to an elf, and has been clothed in many things including wolf skins and polar bear fur. Historically, the Santa Claus legend dates back as far as 300 A.D. and carries with it fascinating stories of the selfless acts of the first Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), first known for his kindness to children and his help to the needy. 

The Coca-Cola Santa Survey was conducted in November 2002 by Acrobat Marketing and surveyed 400 children between the ages of four and eight across Canada.

Until next week, Happy Collecting! CokeGirl