Challenge
Coca-Cola R&D brief: Strip the labels off the bottles to understand if we can simplify recycling, whilst keeping the brand power and maintaining regulatory needs. Sprite™ sought a more sustainable pack without sacrificing shelf impact. Labels complicate recycling streams and add components.
Solution
Bold, embossed Sprite branding for instant recognition. Colour-coded caps to signal variants at a glance. Regulatory details laser-etched directly into the PET surface. Pilot bottles produced and trialled in selected Tesco stores in partnership with Coca-Cola R&D.
Shift
We went naked - label free, treating the bottle as the medium. Elevating form, texture, and minimal components so the pack communicates brand assets and regulatory information.
SPRITE
No label-less waste
The impact
Stripping was liberating! A cleaner, simpler path to recycling by removing labels and extra materials. Proving that a label-less pack can still deliver brand presence and clarity. Design innovation challenging norms to create more sustainable single-use plastic packaging.
“The trial is a milestone for the industry. It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca‑Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store. Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”
VP Marketing
