The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2014
Coca-Cola gave away bottle caps that turn an empty bottle into a toy, brush or dumbbell.
Ogilvy and Maxx made 16 caps that turn an empty Coke bottle into a water gun, paintbrush, sharpener or dumbbell, so plastic gets a second life through play.
The Coca-Cola Company · Ogilvy & Mather
the move
Coca-Cola wanted to reduce plastic and increase recycling, but a sustainability message alone rarely changes what happens after a drink is finished.
So the brand and Ogilvy changed the bottle's second life. Product firm Maxx built 16 cap toppers, from a bubble blower and paint pen to a weight and a condiment container, that screw onto an empty PET bottle.
The caps were distributed free with multi-packs, first in Ho Chi Minh City, so the empty bottle became something people wanted to keep and play with instead of throw away.
The programme was one small, practical idea with broad appeal, turning a waste problem into a moment of fun and a reason to hold onto plastic.
why it works
- Making the cap functional gives a person a reason to keep the bottle, which is the hardest part of recycling.
- Free distribution with a multi-pack put the object in hands at the exact moment of purchase.
- A fun cap beats a warning label, so the behaviour change is pleasurable and self-reinforcing.
- It let a global brand act locally and cheaply, with a simple, replicable idea.
what transfers
Recycling messaging asks people to change their behaviour; product design changes the object so the good behaviour is the fun one. A cap that is a toy beats a cap that is a lecture.
what came after
Launched in Ho Chi Minh City and rolled out across Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, the campaign gave away over 50,000 caps and drew more than 4.2 million YouTube views. It was shortlisted for a Cannes Lion and became a reference for closing the loop through product design rather than messaging.
references
- Coca-Cola bottles find new purpose in '2nd Lives' campaign by Ogilvy & Mather
- Coca-Cola: A Second Life for Coke Bottles
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