While PET bottles have dominated the single serving soda category for years, glass is quietly beginning to enjoy a resurgence in popularity, particularly among brand owners looking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. We first wrote about this trend in the September 2005 issue of BRANDPACKAGING.

Though PET bottles are the norm in convenience-oriented single-serve beverage packaging, some consumers steadfastly insist that nothing compares to an ice-cold soda in a frosty glass bottle. Now Coca-Cola is offering these purists a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Coke is test marketing an 11.8-ounce glass bottle with white plastic resealable top in three cities—Chicago, Phoenix and Atlanta. Testing will continue through the end of 2006, according to Coca-Cola spokesperson Scott Williams. Three Coke products—Coke, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero—are being offered in area convenience stores for about $1.

Williams recently told the Chicago Sun-Times: “There are some folks for whom glass is the ultimate way to consume a Coca-Cola. And this combines glass with the convenience of resealability that is also a major plus for a lot of consumers.”

In the recent past, Coke has reserved glass bottles for collectible or special edition packaging. It sells eight-ounce Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite on a limited basis, and glass bottles are still common in international markets. This new offering hopes to combine the convenience of a portable, resealable package with the nostalgia of glass.

Billboard advertising for the new bottles, urging consumers to “Grab it in glass”, supports the new packaging in test markets. BP