Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) today announced the pilot of its signature contour bottle in a convenient two-liter size, beginning this week in Birmingham and Chattanooga. These cities were chosen to introduce the new version of the companys most enduring icon because of their longstanding loyalty to Coca-Cola and the strength of their local Coca-Cola bottler, Coca-Cola United.

The new two-liter form of Coca-Colas iconic package was preferred over the straight wall two-liter bottle overwhelmingly in recent consumer tests* and offers a significant advantage for consumers beyond its classic good looks -- it is also easier to hold and easier to pour. The new Coca-Cola two-liter contour plastic bottle will be available in stores throughout the two cities beginning June 16. All Coca-Cola trademark brands will be available in the new two-liter contour package, including Coca-Cola classic®, Diet Coke®, Coke Zero®, Caffeine Free Coca-Cola classic® and Caffeine Free Diet Coke®. Importantly for customers, research conducted by CCNA with consumers suggests that the two-liter contour package has the potential to re-energize sparkling beverage sales in their stores as well**.

Along with Coca-Colas one-of-a-kind real cola taste, the iconic shape of the contour bottle is what people love most about the brand. They are both a part of its timeless magic, said Hendrik Steckhan, president and general manager, Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola North America. We want to offer our brands to consumers in a special way that fits their needs for all contemporary beverage occasions. When you enjoy your family meal together, sharing an ice-cold Coke from a contour bottle is just the real thing.

Coca-Cola United is pleased to introduce and pilot the new version of Coca-Colas iconic bottle in Birmingham and Chattanooga, said Claude B. Nielsen, CEO, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United. We are very optimistic consumers will respond positively to this package innovation. I am particularly proud of the leadership and expertise that the launch team from United and Coca-Cola North America has demonstrated as we worked together to bring this innovative opportunity to the marketplace.

Birmingham and Chattanooga also will benefit from special recycling initiatives which CCNA and Coca-Cola United have created to commemorate the introduction of the new package. In Birmingham, the two companies are donating contour bottle-shaped recycle bins to The McWane Science Center as part of a major recycling initiative there. Chattanooga will receive contour bottled shaped recycling bins for Signal Mountain High School and Heritage High School, set to open in the fall. Corrugated recycling bins also have been donated to the Chattanooga Riverbend Festival, running from June 6-14.

Nearly 92 years after its creation, the contour bottle remains a symbol of innovation, instantly differentiating the worlds best known sparkling beverage from all other products. Widely recognized as a pioneering example of package-driven branding, the contour bottle is one of the few packages to ever receive a trademark from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

In addition to the new two-liter contour bottle, CCNAs other sparkling beverage brands will also have new two-liter versions of their proprietary packages as part of the pilot in Birmingham and Chattanooga. The familiar shapes of Sprites signature bottle and the distinctively shaped bottle for CCNA brands like Fanta, Fresca, Pibb Extra and others will all be offered in two-liter form for the first time. The pilot will be supported with in-store, radio, out-of-home and newspaper advertising.