The saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” doesn’t seem like it’s a universally true statement, but maybe when it comes to manufacturing bottles, perhaps it should be.
Of course, companies want their products to stand out from the crowd. But these are bottles we’re talking about here. They’re designed to contain liquid that makes it easier for thirsty customers to take a swig of them without the bottles falling out of their hands.
That doesn’t mean you can’t get creative within the confines of those specific briefs— drinkability and holdability. Look at what Coca-Cola did with its patented glass bottle curves.
However, that kind of thought process didn’t go into the design of Simply Lemonade’s newest bottle, according to Kate Luckinbill (@k8luckinbill). She vented her frustrations with the design in a viral TikTok that’s amassed over 166,000 views as of Monday.
What’s wrong with Simply Lemonade’s bottle design?
“Has anyone seen the new Simply Made Lemonade bottle? Same family size, new bottle,” Luckinbill says, speaking into the camera of the TikTok.
“I guess they’re struggling after that lawsuit, huh? Cause now this is the bottle,” she continues, holding it up to the camera.
She shows that the neck of the container has shrunk significantly from its previous design. Luckinbill didn’t seem like she was that big of a fan of the new aesthetic as she grimaced and held it up to the camera lens.
“This is the handle,” she says, gripping her fingers around the bottle’s stubby neck. “This is the bottle,” says, attempting to wrap her hand around the base, which she couldn’t due to its thickness.
“I can’t even pick it up with my hand,” she says, demonstrating how difficult it is to get a grip on the bottle, her fingers slipping off of it with each new attempt.
“Who was in this f*cking meeting,” she narrates after failing to pick up the bottle again, “Who was in this meeting? You’re fired, you’re fired, you’re fired.”
Judging by the replies to her video, it seems that several others weren’t all that jazzed by the new Simply Lemonade bottle design.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” one user wrote.
This was a thought process someone else said they had, writing, “I literally didn’t buy it because it was gonna be too hard to grasp.”
However, there was another viewer, who, upon seeing Luckinbill’s clip couldn’t seem to understand what the issue was: “I’m confused… how is it different from the old one? (Hard to tell in video).”
She explained why this new shape was such a downgrade for Simply customers: “The big family bottle had a HANDLE and a POUR SPOUT top.”
And it seemed others were big fans of this previous design as well.
“Nooo I’m gonna have to try to find one with the handle and just keep refilling it,” one said. “It’s such a good shape!”
It seems that there are still retailers using previous imagery of the old Simply bottle in their marketing for the product, like this Walmart site’s listing for the 89-ounce offering.
However, some folks countered Luckinbill’s ire over the design, stating that they were actually fans of the new bottle layout.
“Much better. Fits on any shelf,” one wrote.
Another TikToker wrote, “People with 2 hands and can put down their phone.”
One point others brought up was with regards to folks with disabilities.
@k8luckinbill All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us #simplylemonade ♬ original sound – Kate Luckinbill 🍉
“I’ll definitely say this is much harder for my grandmother because she is disabled and handles are needed on everything for her,” a user said. “But for me….it’s not a big issue.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Simply (The Coca-Cola Company) via email and Luckinbill via TikTok comment.
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