Cool packaging: Coca-Cola Turkey launches new cans with thermochromic inks

Coca-Cola Turkey is using thermochromic inks to design its soft drinks' aluminium cans this summer. The thermochromic inks on the cans would only be visible when the cans are chilled.

In other words, the colours would be invisible at ambient temperature.

Seventy million cans of Coke Red and Coke Zero would be designed using thermochromic inks.

Coca-Cola Turkey is using thermochromic inks for its packaging design for the first time.

There will be a total of 10 different designs featuring summer themes, including palm trees, ice cubes, sandals and sailing boats.

Usually, designers use only one or two thermochromic inks to show a change in temperature.

For the first time, Coca-Cola Turkey is using four separate inks to create the designs, which is done in collaboration with Crown Bevcan, a packaging company.

“While we have used thermochromic ink technology for many commercial applications, the Coca-Cola campaign highlights its potential as a decorative tool, conveying a message of freshness and fun in an aesthetically pleasing and original way. The inks also encourage consumers to interact with the brand at the point of sale and during consumption,” said Matt Twiss, Marketing & Business Development Director at Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East.

Crown’s Osmaniye plant located in central southern Turkey, is in charge of producing the cans. The plant has the capacity to produce approximately two billion cans per year.

Performance in the Middle East

Coca-Cola Turkey operations last year delivered volume growth of 3.3%, the highest in the last five years, according to its latest financial results published this year.

Not ready-to-drink (NRTD) tea, still beverages, and sparkling water contributes most to the volume growth, with each of them growing by 20.7%, 4.1%, and 1.7% respectively.

Volume growth of water has however dropped by 6.8%. 

Sparkling product recorded a positive growth for the first time in five years, due to the firm’s initiatives to drive revenue through quality volume growth.

Overall, net sales revenue in Turkey grew 11.7%, due to pricing, promotional activities, and improvement in packaging mix.

Across the Middle East, volume growth went up by 5.5% last year, with Iraq growing 5.5%, mainly contributed by the sparkling water product category and improved market execution, while Jordan recorded 5.0% growth.