Coca-Cola hopes to attract holiday shoppers with innovative seasonal packaging. In fact, they’ve been experimenting with many different containers, including one shaped like a soccer ball for the World Cup and artistically decorated aluminum bottles for trendy bars. I would include their tests of new types of vending machines in this effort. So we now have five P’s for marketing: product, price, promotion, place (or distribution channels), and packaging!

Coca-Cola Enterprises is to launch a range of Christmas packaging, including seasonal gift-wrapping, to promote its Coke and Diet Coke brands.
The work reflects Coca-Cola’s strategy of focusing not only on brand extensions but also packaging innovation to drive sales.
…According to Coca-Cola Enterprises, the right packaging is key to enabling retailers to drive sales.

Brand Republic: Coca-Cola plans special editions for Christmas, 2006-Sep-12, by Nicola Clark