# What Do You Think About the New Smooth Serve Coke? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519 "2004-05-17T01:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/1 "2004-05-17T01:47:49Z")
[Here](http://www.bevnet.com/news/2004/05-12-2004-gregprince_bigco_innovate.asp) is the BevNet article about it. For those that don’t know, Coca-Cola has released and began distributing a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke with the memorable contours of their brand’s other products. However, while only 75% the size of the 2-liter bottles, it’s often being priced only pennies less than its older brother. Sure, the smaller bottle means it’ll stay fizzier longer, but what do you, the cognoscenti, think about it? 🙂 Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/2 "2004-05-17T01:58:50Z")
When Diet Lime Coke (gift of the gods, BTW) came out, the local WalMonster had a special on it. Little Vorlon noticed it, then noticed the 2 litre and the 20oz were the same price. “But Dad—you could put three of the little bottles in the big one, and they cost the same?” Not too bad for a just-turned-eight-year-old. Marketing types will rue the day he was born… ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/3 "2004-05-17T02:17:44Z")
_That_ is surely the product of commendable parenting paired with an inquisitive mind. 😉 My best wishes for The Vorlito when he topples corporate America. 😃 Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/4 "2004-05-17T16:51:29Z")
Grrr. My mom (who lives in the New York suburbs) had these on Mother’s Day. Another sign of the pending apocalypse. Reminds me of the Dannon 6 oz yogurt thing. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/5 "2004-05-17T17:00:16Z")
May I just add my special pet peeve: The twelve oz. bag of coffee? I expect this sort of thing from Starbuck’s, but Peet’s! Peet’s, how could you? ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/6 "2004-05-17T22:03:56Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > Reminds me of the Dannon 6 oz yogurt thing. Not so long ago, I read an interview with the CEO of Stoneyfield Farms. He said that 6 oz yogurts at the same price was what the customers demanded! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/7 "2004-05-18T13:43:49Z")
Tampax lost me for good when they went from 40/box to 32/box. And Neutrogena Fisherman’s Hand Cream lost me for good when they went down 25% on the contents of their tube. Apparently those of us who can do math are in the minority, though, or “they” wouldn’t keep on with this downsizing thing. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/8 "2004-05-18T15:07:29Z")
Hmm. Sodas have been sold in 1.5 liter bottles here for over a decade. But that was a move **up** - from 1 liter bottles. The size change also marked the change from glass to plastic. But the plastic bottles here are much thicker than the relatively flimsy plastic of the 2 liter bottles in the States; they are deposit bottles, washed and reused an average of 20 times according to the soda companies. Personally I like the size, since 1.5 liters is just about perfect for Family Movie Nights for us - two glasses each for four people. But if they were reducing the size of the bottle without reducing the price? No, I would not be a happy camper. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/9 "2004-05-18T15:17:13Z")
I’ve noticed Coke has been trying to reduce the size of their drinks for a while now. I’ve seen 8 oz. cans and 18-can boxes in the stores. I can’t imagine why anyone would buy an 8 oz can of Coke when they could buy a 12 oz can for the same price or even cheaper. The same for the 18-can boxes. I’m guessing their hope is that no one will realize that 18 cans for $5 is a worse deal than 24 cans for $5.50. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/10 "2004-05-18T15:28:11Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > I’m guessing their hope is that no one will realize that 18 cans for $5 is a worse deal than 24 cans for $5.50. Yeah, exactly. Same thing, as pointed out, with the 1.5 liter. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-smooth-serve-coke/245519/11 "2004-05-18T18:36:52Z")
And last year Coke got a nasty email from me when they subtly switched from 20 oz bottles in a six-pack to .5 Liter (16.9 oz) bottles. I dind’t notice the change until I happened to set a new bottle next to an old one I used for watering my plant on my workdesk. Less Coke, same price. I was outraged, but then realized Pepsi had done the same damn thing (not that I’d have switched to Pepsi, but still)