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Saturday, April 11, 2020

Covid forces some Cos to change logos ! ~ Coca cola introduces label-free bottles !!


A logo  is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordmark.  Logo is considered necessary in promoting brand and often synonymous with its trademark or brand.

Corona – Covid 19 has shaken the World so much that in recent weeks,  a handful of brands have changed their logo to encourage people to stay home and practice social distancing. Frito-Lay feels there is no such need. In a new 60-second spot titled “It’s About People,” Frito-Lay argues that the current moment is not an opportunity for brands to grab the public’s attention by demonstrating their cleverness, creativity or thought leadership. Instead, this is a time for humans to help other humans.  “The world doesn’t need brands to tell us how to think or feel,” reads white text on a black background. “The world needs brands to take action.”  Hope this is a factual statement and our Commercial brands and TV channels learn this at the hour of crisis .

Remember our school days…. [if you are 40+] ~ there used to be rusted iron pipes from the water tank……. Students would line before the water tank [very thought would make modern day youngsters and mothers scary] – there would be no tumblers or receptacles,  one would  open the tab / lift the nozzle, keep one’s hand in a manner that falling water would find its way to the mouth……none cared to check of its purity, taste, colour, odour and more…….. a few decades earlier, perhaps none would have imagined that water would be ‘crore industry – with multi-brands’ ruling the market…life has changed since !!

None would have imagined that water would become a hot selling commodity commanding crores; nor that so many brands would vie to capture market share. From potable water to mineral water, as it was sold in the beginning……  mineral water actually, is water from a mineral spring containing various minerals such as salts and sulphur compounds. Here the  term "mineral water" is colloquially used to mean any bottled carbonated water or soda water, as opposed to tap water; and years after their advent, it simply is any packaged water…… the water that you get in bottles / cans of various capacities…… may not even be chemically treated water containing any minerals. 

Now people are finicky, most cannot drink water in hotels, restaurants and public places but buy mineral water bottles – some cannot survive without specified brands.  Indian Railways which carries millions everyday, turned to their own brand – ‘rail neer’, a branded packaged drinking water for the rail commuters handled through IRCTC.  Even in costly Hotels, before you order food, they try to sell the mineral water – is it not their duty [and included in the cost] to serve quality potable water ? – then why ask whether it is ordinary water of quality mineral water that one wants ??

People walk and live with Mineral water… in bottles, cans and in every form.  In trying to provide common man, good quality drinking water the concept of ‘amma water’  was indeed laudable.   Bisleri was the first branded water introduced in Indian market by Bisleri Limited, a company of Italian origin that stormed the market way back in 1965 ! Almost 50 years ago, somebody thinking that water could be sold and marketed is really ingenuous !!   later Parle bought the Company and continued with Bisleri water.  It was first in glass bottles, then PVC nonreturnable and then to PET over the years.  Now, We have so many brands available in the market such as : Aquafina, Bailey, Bibo,  Bisleri,  Dew Drops,  Golden Eagle, Haywards, Himalayan, Just Born, Kingfisher,  Snow pure etc.,   Today, production and distribution of packaged water is a multi crore industry.

Read a news in MailOnline that Coca-Cola has launched label-free bottles for its water brand in Japan in a bid to reduce waste and pollution. I Lohas water, which comes in both plain and flavoured varieties, has ditched the label and created a more streamlined package design. Starting in April, these new bottle designs will be sold in cases of 24 for 2,880 yen (US$26) [Rs.2000 !] at supermarkets, drug stores, and online retailers. Bottles sold separately will still have the label.

This is because without any labels, the bar code and other details such as nutritional information and ingredients wouldn't be displayed. The bottles themselves are also made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. Even before this recent move, these plastic bottles have been somewhat environmentally-friendly.  The move by the water brand will play a small part in reducing waste and plastic pollution in Japan.  They are made using a malleable plastic that's easy to crush into compact sizes for efficient recycling. However some consumers have criticised this, saying the type of plastic used means the bottles crumple up when you try to drink from them.

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
11.4.2020.

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