Diet coke is the new Gen Z obsession, but major Indian cities are now facing shortage of Diet coke can and one of the key drivers behind the shortage is disruption of supply chain due to ongoing conflict in West Asia. Many people reported that they are unable to find Diet Coke in Mumbai, Gurugram, and Bengaluru, and this took over the social media with memes and creative reels of users starving for Diet coke. The Iran-US war and closure of Strait of Hormuz impacted the aluminum supply chain due to which the company could not fulfil the supply of cans.
The company has now solved the aluminum shortage in its own way. The company has rolled out Diet coke in new glass bottle packaging, and it has become viral overnight all over the internet and has become a new obsession for every diet coke enthusiast.
History of Diet Coke Glass Bottles
This is not the first time that the company has been rolling out Diet coke in a glass bottle. Back in 1982 when the company launched diet coke, it was initially introduced in glass bottles. At that time, the beverage industry was rapidly transitioning to lightweight packaging material. However, Coca-Cola maintains the luxury and classic feel of the brand; the company used the traditional 6.5-ounce and 10-ounce contour glass bottles for selling the drink.
But by late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, glass bottles became less common in grocery stores due to their weight and safety concern due to which the company moved towards plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
The glass bottles were never completely discontinued. It became limited to European and Mexican market because these markets-maintained glass production much longer than the US and other global market.
The company also supplied these glass bottles for high-end hospitality in hotels and restaurants. The company also serves 8-ounce (237ml) glass bottles because glass is non-porous and odorless, which keeps the taste crisp and cleaner.
The company also often collaborated with popular designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld to design limited edition glass bottles for Diet coke.
Why is Coca-Cola Returning Back to Glass Bottles?
At this critical time when the global market has been disturbed due to ongoing tension in West Asia, the company is moving back to the glass bottle to fulfil the supply. A glass bottle is on average refiled 15-20 times before being recycled, and this will probably resolve the packaging issue for now. However, these glass bottles are sold at much higher price than a standard can. The quick-commerce platform BlinkIt is selling pack of six bottles of 200ml each for Rs 480 which means Rs 80 for each whereas the normal can of 320 ml is sold for Rs 40.
Gen Z Reacts to Diet Coke Glass Bottle
The Gen Z and content creator have taken the glass bottle on social media and creating fun reels and memes on the moment through which the company is gaining massive attention online for free
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
Tweets @ZiyaIbnHameed
