Coca-Cola has become one of the most popular brands in the world today. Through many generations, people have enjoyed the ice-cold refreshing taste of Coca-Cola in addition to collecting branded memorabilia! Learn more about the history of this iconic brand.
When Was Coca-Cola Created And By Whom?
Created in 1886 by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola has become the most popular soft drink, with global Coca-Cola beverage sales totaling 1.9 billion daily. Pemberton’s partner, Frank Robinson, is credited for naming the brand and designing the distinctive font that is still used today. Just two years after creating this now-iconic beverage, Pemberton passed away. However, before his death, the pharmacist sold a large piece of the Coca-Cola business to Asa G. Candler, a successful businessman who enthusiastically introduced Coca- Cola to soda fountains outside of the Atlanta area.
With the demand for the popular soda rapidly growing, businessman, Joseph Biedenharn was the first to bottle the ice- cold beverage – an idea that quickly spread with large scale bottling of Coca-Cola becoming popular in 1899. In 1977, after struggling to make a distinct bottle that was consistently produced, the popular soda company trademarked the unique contoured bottle that is widely recognized in many of their advertisements.
Though minor couponing promoted Coca-Cola early on in 1887, brand advertising efforts really began to pick up in the 1970’s when the company began to solidify the now-iconic “fun, friends, and good times” theme that has continued to be present within their advertising to this day. This theme was cemented with campaigns featuring popular singers, football stars and days at the beach.
In 1993, Coca-Cola began a new era of advertisement when they began to incorporate animation into their campaigns. Although each animation-based ad took 12 weeks to produce within their “Always Coca-Cola” series, the results were worth the effort. The animated polar bears from the ads became a huge hit with customers and are still treasured today.
The company launched a global campaign in 2009 called “Open Happiness,” which further developed the brand into a representation of wellness and joy. Marketing the beverage as “one of life’s simple pleasures,” Coca-Cola continued the campaign to the 2010 Olympics and through today, have a mission of determining what makes people happy. Now, Coca-Cola continues to be one of the most widely recognized brands in the world. Their timeless appeal has found a special place in millions of people’s hearts with some going as far as dedicating a large portion of time collecting popular Coca-Cola memorabilia.
