Coca-Cola Turkey has commenced an unprecedented summer range of cans that has made use of thermochromic inks to add color and fun to new aluminum beverage can designs.

For the uninitiated, thermochromic ink technology is applied in commercial use as a decorative tool, where one or two thermochromic inks are combined to conduct temperature changes. Coca-Cola Turkey is using making this color technology an integral part of the can design for the first time.

In case of Coca-Cola, four separate inks will be used to create vibrant designs that will stand out when the cans are chilled and the beverage is ready for consumption. Coke Zero and Coke Red drink cans are being designed to feature summer themes that will range from sailing boats and sandals to palm trees and ice cubes. The images remain colorless at room temperature and do not change color till the cans are cold enough to be consumed.

Matt Twiss, business development director, Crown Bevcan, the Middle-East and Europe, reportedly said that Crown has been working dedicatedly to facilitate the complicated printing process of the four inks which is a novelty in the line of thermochromic ink printing as traditionally only two inks are mixed to communicate temperature change. Twiss also said that the Coca-Cola campaign is using thermochromic ink technology as a decorative tool rather than as a commercial tool as it is usually used to send a message of fun and freshness in an aesthetically original and pleasing manner. The ink is also expected to become a point of interaction between the customer and the brand at the point of sale and during consumption of the drink.

Crown will produce the cans at its Osmaniye plant in central south Turkey in a production facility that has a capacity to produce roughly 2 billion cans per annum. It is anticipated that approximately 70 million units will be produced in 2018 to promote the campaign with a large number of cans already released in the retail supply chain.