Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola, orCoke, is acolasoft drinkmanufactured bythe Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day.Coca-Cola ranked No. 94 in the 2024Fortune500list of thelargest United States corporations by revenue.Based on Interbrand's "best global brand" study of 2023, Coca-Cola was the world'ssixth most valuable brand.
Originally marketed as atemperance drinkand intended as apatent medicine, Coca-Cola was invented in the late 19th century byJohn Stith PembertoninAtlanta, Georgia. In 1888, Pemberton sold the ownership rights toAsa Griggs Candler, a businessman, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the global soft-drink market throughout the 20th and 21st century.The name refers to two of its original ingredients:cocaleaves andkola nuts(a source ofcaffeine).Theformula of Coca-Colaremains atrade secret; however, a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published. The secrecy around the formula has been used by Coca-Cola as a marketing aid because only a handful of anonymous employees know the formula.The drink has inspired imitators and created a whole classification of soft drink: colas.
The Coca-Cola Company producesconcentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold exclusive territory contracts with the company, produce the finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. A typical 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 ml) can contains 38 grams (1.3 oz) of sugar (usually in the form ofhigh-fructose corn syrupin North America). The bottlers then sell, distribute, and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores, restaurants, andvending machinesthroughout the world. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate forsoda fountainsof major restaurants andfoodservice distributors.
The Coca-Cola Company has on occasion introduced other cola drinks under the Coke name. The most common of these isDiet Coke, along with others includingCaffeine-Free Coca-Cola,Diet Coke Caffeine-Free,Coca-Cola Zero Sugar,Coca-Cola Cherry,Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions withlemon,lime, andcoffee. Coca-Cola was called "Coca-Cola Classic" from July 1985 to 2009, to distinguish it from "New Coke".
Confederate ColonelJohn Pemberton, wounded in theAmerican Civil Warandaddicted to morphine, also had a medical degree and began a quest to find a substitute for the problematic drug.In 1885 at Pemberton's Eagle Drug and Chemical House, his drugstore inColumbus, Georgia, he registeredPemberton's French Wine Cocanerve tonic.Pemberton's tonic may have been inspired by the formidable success ofVin Mariani, a French-Corsicancoca wine,but his recipe additionally included the Africankola nut, the beverage's source of caffeine.A Spanish drink called "Kola Coca" was presented at a contest in Philadelphia in 1885, a year before the official birth of Coca-Cola. The rights for this Spanish drink were bought by Coca-Cola in 1953.
In 1886, when Atlanta andFulton Countypassedprohibitionlegislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version ofPemberton's French Wine Coca.It was marketed as "Coca-Cola: The temperance drink", which appealed to many people as thetemperance movementenjoyed wide support during this time.The first sales were at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886,where it initially sold for fivecentsa glass.Drugstoresoda fountainswere popular in the United States at the time due to the belief thatcarbonated waterwas good for the health,and Pemberton's new drink was marketed and sold as apatent medicine, Pemberton claiming it a cure for many diseases, including morphine addiction, indigestion, nerve disorders, headaches, andimpotence. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the same year in theAtlanta Journal.
By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola – sold by three separate businesses – were on the market. A co-partnership had been formed on January 14, 1888, between Pemberton and four Atlanta businessmen:J.C. Mayfield, A.O. Murphey, C.O. Mullahy, and E.H. Bloodworth. Not codified by any signed document, a verbal statement given by Asa Candler years later asserted under testimony that he had acquired a stake in Pemberton's company as early as 1887.John Pemberton declared that thename"Coca-Cola" belonged to his son, Charley, but the other two manufacturers could continue to use theformula.
Charley Pemberton's record of control over the "Coca-Cola" name was the underlying factor that allowed for him to participate as a major shareholder in the March 1888 Coca-Cola Company incorporation filing made in his father's place.Charley's exclusive control over the "Coca-Cola" name became a continual thorn in Asa Candler's side. Candler's oldest son,Charles Howard Candler, authored a book in 1950 published byEmory University. In this definitive biography about his father, Candler specifically states: "on April 14, 1888, the young druggist Asa Griggs Candler purchased a one-third interest in the formula of an almost completely unknown proprietary elixir known as Coca-Cola."The deal was actually between John Pemberton's son Charley and Walker, Candler & Co. – with John Pemberton acting as cosigner for his son. For $50 down and $500 in 30 days, Walker, Candler & Co. obtained all of the one-third interest in the Coca-Cola Company that Charley held, all while Charley still held on to the name. After the April 14 deal, on April 17, 1888, one-half of the Walker/Dozier interest shares were acquired by Candler for an additional $750.
After Candler had gained a better foothold on Coca-Cola in April 1888, he nevertheless was forced to sell the beverage he produced with the recipe he had under the names "Yum Yum" and "Koke". This was while Charley Pemberton was selling the elixir, although a cruder mixture, under the name "Coca-Cola", all with his father's blessing. After both names failed to catch on for Candler, by the middle of 1888, the Atlanta pharmacist was quite anxious to establish a firmer legal claim to Coca-Cola, and hoped he could force his two competitors, Walker and Dozier, completely out of the business, as well.
John Pemberton died suddenly on August 16, 1888. Asa Candler then decided to move swiftly forward to attain full control of the entire Coca-Cola operation.
Charley Pemberton, an alcoholic and opium addict, unnerved Asa Candler more than anyone else. Candler is said to have quickly maneuvered to purchase the exclusive rights to the name "Coca-Cola" from Pemberton's son Charley immediately after he learned of Dr. Pemberton's death. One of several stories states that Candler approached Charley's mother at John Pemberton's funeral and offered her $300 in cash for the rights to the name.
In Charles Howard Candler's 1950 book about his father, he stated: "On August 30 [1888], he [Asa Candler] became the sole proprietor of Coca-Cola, a fact which was stated on letterheads, invoice blanks and advertising copy."
With this action on August 30, 1888, Candler's sole control became technically all true. Candler had negotiated with Margaret Dozier and her brother Woolfolk Walker a full payment amounting to $1,000, which all agreed Candler could pay off with a series of notes over a specified time span. By May 1, 1889, Candler was claiming full ownership of the Coca-Cola beverage, with a total investment outlay by Candler for the drink enterprise over the years amounting to $2,300.
In 1914, Margaret Dozier, as co-owner of the original Coca-Cola Company in 1888, came forward to claim that her signature on the 1888 Coca-Cola Company bill of sale had been forged. Subsequent analysis of other similar transfer documents had also indicated John Pemberton's signature had most likely been forged as well, which some accounts claim was precipitated by his son Charley.
In 1892, Candler set out to incorporate a second company, the Coca-Cola Company (the modern corporation). When Candler had the earliest records of the "Coca-Cola Company" destroyed in 1910, the action was claimed to have been made during a move to new corporation offices around this time.
On June 23, 1894, Charley Pemberton was found unconscious with a stick of opium by his side. Ten days later, Charley died at Atlanta's Grady Hospital at the age of 40.
On September 12, 1919, Coca-Cola Co. was purchased by a group of investors led byErnest Woodruff'sTrust Companyfor $25 million and reincorporated under theDelaware General Corporation Law. The company publicly offered 500,000 shares of the company for $40 a share.In 1923, his sonRobert W. Woodruffwas elected President of the company. Woodruff expanded the company and brought Coca-Cola to the rest of the world. Coca-Cola began distributing bottles as "Six-packs", encouraging customers to purchase the beverage for their home.
During its first several decades, Coca-Cola officially wanted to be known by its full-name despite being commonly known as "Coke". This was due to company fears that the term "coke" would eventually become ageneric trademark, which to an extent became true in theSouthern United Stateswhere"coke" is used even for non Coca-Cola products. The company also didn't want to confuse its drink with thesimilarly named coal byproductthat clearly wasn't safe to consume. Eventually, out for fears that another company may claim the trademark for "Coke", Coca-Cola finally embraced it and officially endorsed the name "Coke" in 1941. "Coke" eventually became a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Company in 1945.
In 1986, the Coca-Cola Company merged with two of their bottling operators (owned by JTL Corporation and BCI Holding Corporation) to form Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE).
In December 1991, Coca-Cola Enterprises merged with the Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, Inc.
The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred inVicksburg, Mississippi, at the Biedenharn Candy Company on March 12, 1894.The proprietor of the bottling works wasJoseph A. Biedenharn.The original bottles wereHutchinsonbottles, very different from the much later hobble-skirt design of 1915 now so familiar.
A few years later two entrepreneurs fromChattanooga, Tennessee, namelyBenjamin F. ThomasandJoseph B. Whitehead, proposed the idea of bottling and were so persuasive that Candler signed a contract giving them control of the procedure for only one dollar. Candler later realized that he had made a grave mistake.Candler never collected his dollar, but in 1899, Chattanooga became the site of the first Coca-Cola bottling company. Candler remained very content just selling his company's syrup.The loosely termed contract proved to be problematic for the Coca-Cola Company for decades to come. Legal matters were not helped by the decision of the bottlers to subcontract to other companies, effectively becoming parent bottlers.This contract specified that bottles would be sold at 5¢ each and had no fixed duration, leading to thefixed price of Coca-Cola from 1886 to 1959.
The first outdoor wall advertisement that promoted the Coca-Cola drink was painted in 1894 inCartersville, Georgia.Cola syrup was sold as an over-the-counterdietary supplementfor upset stomach.By the time of its 50th anniversary, the soft drink had reached the status of a national icon in the US. In 1935, it wascertified kosherby Atlanta rabbiTobias Geffen. With the help of Harold Hirsch, Geffen was the first person outside the company to see the top-secret ingredients list after Coke faced scrutiny from the American Jewish population regarding the drink's kosher status.Consequently, the company made minor changes in the sourcing of some ingredients so it could continue to be consumed by America's Jewish population, including duringPassover.A yellow cap on a Coca-Cola drink indicates that it iskosher for Passover.
The longest running commercial Coca-Cola soda fountain anywhere was Atlanta's Fleeman's Pharmacy, which first opened its doors in 1914.Jack Fleeman took over the pharmacy from his father and ran it until 1995; closing it after 81 years.On July 12, 1944, the one-billionth gallon of Coca-Cola syrup was manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955.
Sugar prices spiked in the 1970s because ofSovietdemand/hoarding and possible futures contracts market manipulation. The Soviet Union was the largest producer of sugar at the time. In 1974 Coca-Cola switched over tohigh-fructose corn syrupbecause of the elevated prices.
On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, changedthe formulaof the drink with "New Coke". Follow-up taste tests revealed most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both old Coke andPepsibut Coca-Cola management was unprepared for the public'snostalgiafor the old drink, leading to abacklash. The company gave in to protests and returned to the old formula under the name Coca-Cola Classic, on July 10, 1985. "New Coke" remained available and was renamedCoke IIin 1992; it was discontinued in 2002.
On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraq for the first time since theArab Leagueboycotted the company in 1968.
In April 2007, in Canada, the name "Coca-Cola Classic" was changed back to "Coca-Cola". The word "Classic" was removed because "New Coke" was no longer in production, eliminating the need to differentiate between the two.The formula remained unchanged. In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word "Classic" on the labels of 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 ml) bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States.The change was part of a larger strategy to rejuvenate the product's image.The word "Classic" was removed from all Coca-Cola products by 2011.
In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products,Costcostopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke for two months; a separate pouring rights deal in 2013 saw Coke products removed from Costco food courts in favor of Pepsi.Some Costco locations (such as the ones inTucson, Arizona) additionally sellimported Coca-Cola from Mexicowith cane sugar instead of corn syrup from separate distributors.Coca-Cola introduced the 7.5-ounce mini-can in 2009, and on September 22, 2011, the company announced price reductions, asking retailers to sell eight-packs for $2.99. That same day, Coca-Cola announced the 12.5-ounce bottle, to sell for 89 cents. A 16-ounce bottle has sold well at 99 cents since being re-introduced, but the price was going up to $1.19.
In 2012, Coca-Cola resumed business in Myanmar after 60 years of absence due to US-imposed investment sanctions against the country.Coca-Cola's bottling plant is located inYangonand is part of the company's five-year plan and $200 million investment in Myanmar.Coca-Cola with its partners is to invest US$5 billion in its operations in India by 2020.
In February 2021, as a plan to combatplastic waste, Coca-Cola said that it would start selling its sodas in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material in the United States, and by 2030 planned to recycle one bottle or can for each one it sold.Coca-Cola started by selling 2000 paper bottles to see if they held up due to the risk of safety and of changing the taste of the drink.
A typical can of Coca-Cola (12 fl ounces/355 ml) contains 39 grams of sugar,46 mg of caffeine,50 mg of sodium, no fat, no potassium, and 140 calories.
The exact formula for Coca-Cola's natural flavorings is atrade secret. (All of its other ingredients are listed on the side of the bottle or can, and are not secret.) The original copy of the formula was held inTruist Financial's main vault inAtlantafor 86 years. Its predecessor, theTrust Company, was theunderwriterfor the Coca-Cola Company'sinitial public offeringin 1919. On December 8, 2011, the original secret formula was moved from the vault atSunTrust Banksinto a new vault; this vault will be on display for visitors to itsWorld of Coca-Colamuseum in downtown Atlanta.
According toSnopes, a popular myth states that only two executives have access to the formula, with each executive having only half the formula.However, several sources state that while Coca-Cola does have a rule restricting access to only two executives, each of them knows the entire formula, and that persons other than the prescribed duo have known the formulation process.
On February 11, 2011,Ira Glasssaid on hisPRIradio show,This American Life, that his staffers had found a recipe in "Everett Beal's Recipe Book", reproduced in the February 28, 1979 issue ofThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that they believed was either Pemberton's original formula for Coca-Cola or a version that he made either before or after the product hit the market in 1886. The formula basically matched the one found in Pemberton's diary.Coca-Cola archivist Phil Mooney acknowledged that the recipe "could be a precursor" to the formula used in the original 1886 product, but emphasized that Pemberton's original formula is not the same as the one used in the modern product.
When launched, Coca-Cola's two key ingredients werecocaineandcaffeine. The cocaine was derived from thecocaleaf and the caffeine fromkola nut(also spelled "cola nut" at the time), leading to the name Coca-Cola.
Pemberton called for fiveouncesof coca leaf per gallon of syrup (approximately 37 g/L), a significant dose; in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola once contained an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass. (For comparison, a typical dose or "line" of cocaine is 50–75 mg.) In 1903, the fresh coca leaves were removed from the formula.
After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using "spent" leaves – the leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with trace levels of cocaine.Since then (by 1929), Coca-Cola has used a cocaine-free coca leaf extract. Today, that extract is prepared at aStepan Companyplant inMaywood, New Jersey, the only manufacturing plant authorized by the federal government to import and process coca leaves, which it obtains from Peru and Bolivia.Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it then sells toMallinckrodt, the only company in the United States licensed to purify cocaine formedicinal use.
Long after the syrup had ceased to contain any significant amount of cocaine, inNorth Carolina"dope" remained a common colloquialism for Coca-Cola, and "dope-wagons" were trucks that transported it.
The kola nut acts as a flavoring and the original source of caffeine in Coca-Cola. It contains about 2.0 to 3.5% caffeine, and has a bitter flavor.
In 1911, the US government sued inUnited States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, hoping to force the Coca-Cola Company to remove caffeine from its formula. The court found that the syrup, when diluted as directed, would result in a beverage containing 1.21grains(or 78.4 mg) of caffeine per 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving.The case was decided in favor of the Coca-Cola Company at the district court, but subsequently in 1912, the USPure Food and Drug Actwas amended, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances which must be listed on a product's label. In 1913 the case was appealed to theSixth Circuitin Cincinnati, where the ruling was affirmed, but then appealed again in 1916 to the Supreme Court, where the government effectively won as a new trial was ordered. The company then voluntarily reduced the amount of caffeine in its product, and offered to pay the government's legal costs to settle and avoid further litigation.
Coca-Cola contains 46 mg of caffeine per 12 US fluid ounces (or 30.7 mg per 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving).
The production and distribution of Coca-Cola follows a franchising model. The Coca-Cola Company only produces a syrup concentrate, which it sells to bottlers throughout the world, who hold Coca-Cola franchises for one or more geographical areas. The bottlers produce the final drink by mixing the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners, putting the mixture into cans and bottles, and carbonating it, which the bottlers then sell and distribute to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants, and foodservice distributors.
The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, such asCoca-Cola Enterprises,Coca-Cola Amatil,Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, andCoca-Cola FEMSA, as well as some smaller ones, such asCoca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan, but fully independent bottlers produce almost half of the volume sold in the world.
Independent bottlers are allowed to sweeten the drink according to local tastes.
Coca-Cola has been sold outside the United States as early as 1900, when theCuba Libre(a mix between Coca-Cola and rum) was created inHavanashortly after theSpanish-American Warof 1898. However, the international reach of the product became mostly limited to North and Central America, the Caribbean, theNetherlands,Germanyand parts ofAsiauntil the 1940s, when the brand was introduced throughoutSouth Americaand thenEuropeafter the end ofWorld War II(Fantawas initially conceived by the German Coca-Cola subsidiary as an emergency replacement as the wartime trade embargo prevented the import of syrup). As a result, Coca-Cola eventually became regarded as one of the major symbols of American soft power as well as of globalization.
Since it announced its intention to begin distribution inMyanmarin June 2012, Coca-Cola has been officially available in every country in the world exceptCuba(where it stopped being available officially since 1960—ironically, Coca-Cola's first bottling plant outside the United States was established there in 1906) andNorth Korea.However, it is reported to be available in both countries as agrey import.As of 2022, Coca-Cola hassuspended its operationsinRussiadue to theinvasionofUkraine.
Coca-Cola has been a point of legal discussion in theMiddle East. In the early 20th century,a fatwawas created inEgyptto discuss the question of "whetherMuslimswere permitted to drink Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola."The fatwa states: "According to the Muslim Hanefite, Shafi'ite, etc., the rule in Islamic law of forbidding or allowing foods and beverages is based on the presumption that such things are permitted unless it can be shown that they are forbidden on the basis of theQur'an."The Muslim jurists stated that, unless the Qur'an specifically prohibits the consumption of a particular product, it is permissible to consume. Another clause was discussed, whereby the same rules apply if a person is unaware of the condition or ingredients of the item in question.
Coca-Cola first entered theChinese marketin the 1920s with nolocalizedrepresentation of its name.While the company researched a satisfactory translation, local shopkeepers created their own. These produced the desired "ko-ka ko-la" sound, but with odd meanings such as "female horse fastened with wax" or "bite the wax tadpole".In the 1930s, the company settled on the name "可口可樂（可口可乐）" (Ke-kou ke-le) taking into account the effects of syllable and meaning translations. The phrase means roughly "to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice".The story introduction from Coca-Cola mentions thatChiang Yeeprovided the new localized name,but there are also sources that the localized name appeared before 1935,or that it was given by someone named Jerome T. Lieu who studied atColumbia UniversityinNew York.
This is a list of variants of Coca-Cola introduced around the world. In addition to the caffeine-free version of the original, additional fruit flavors have been included over the years. Not included here are versions ofDiet CokeandCoca-Cola Zero Sugar; these variant versions of those no-calorie colas can be found in their respective articles.
The Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton's bookkeeper,Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885.Robinson came up with the name and chose the logo's distinctive cursive script. The writing style used, known asSpencerian script, was developed in the mid-19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that period.
Robinson also played a significant role in early Coca-Cola advertising. His promotional suggestions to Pemberton included giving away thousands of free drink coupons and plastering the city ofAtlantawith publicity banners andstreetcarsigns.
Coca-Cola came underscrutiny in Egypt in 1951because of aconspiracy theorythat the Coca-Cola logo, when reflected in a mirror, spells out "NoMohammednoMecca" in Arabic.
The Coca-Cola bottle, called the "contour bottle" within the company, was created by bottle designerEarl R. Deanand Coca-Cola'sgeneral counsel,Harold Hirsch. In 1915, the Coca-Cola Company was represented by their general counsel to launch a competition among its bottle suppliers as well as any competition entrants to create a new bottle for their beverage that would distinguish it from other beverage bottles, "a bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, even if broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was."
Chapman J. Root, president ofthe Root Glass CompanyofTerre Haute, Indiana, turned the project over to members of his supervisory staff, including company auditor T. Clyde Edwards, plant superintendent Alexander Samuelsson, andEarl R. Dean, bottle designer and supervisor of the bottle molding room. Root and his subordinates decided to base the bottle's design on one of the soda's two ingredients, thecoca leafor thekola nut, but were unaware of what either ingredient looked like. Dean and Edwards went to theEmeline Fairbanks Memorial Libraryand were unable to find any information about coca or kola. Instead, Dean was inspired by a picture of the gourd-shapedcocoa podin theEncyclopædia Britannica. Dean made a rough sketch of the pod and returned to the plant to show Root. He explained to Root how he could transform the shape of the pod into a bottle. Root gave Dean his approval.
Faced with the upcoming scheduled maintenance of the mold-making machinery, over the next 24 hours Dean sketched out a concept drawing which was approved by Root the next morning. Chapman Root approved the prototype bottle and adesign patentwas issued on the bottle in November 1915. The prototype never made it to production since its middle diameter was larger than its base, making it unstable onconveyor belts. Dean resolved this issue by decreasing the bottle's middle diameter. During the 1916 bottler's convention, Dean's contour bottle was chosen over other entries and was on the market the same year. By 1920, the contour bottle became the standard for the Coca-Cola Company. A revised version was also patented in 1923. Because thePatent Officereleases thePatent Gazetteon Tuesday, the bottle was patented on December 25, 1923, and was nicknamed the "Christmas bottle". Today, the contour Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognized packages on the planet.
As a reward for his efforts, Dean was offered a choice between a $500 bonus or a lifetime job at The Root Glass Company. He chose the lifetime job and kept it until theOwens-Illinois Glass Companybought out The Root Glass Company in the mid-1930s. Dean went on to work in other Midwestern glass factories.
Raymond Loewyupdated the design in 1955 to accommodate larger formats.Misinterpretations of comments Loewy made on his involvement have given rise to apopular misconception, misattributing him as the original designer of the coke bottle.
Others have attributed inspiration for the design not to the cocoa pod, but to aVictorianhooped dress.
In 1944, Associate JusticeRoger J. Traynorof theSupreme Court of Californiatook advantage of a case involving a waitress injured by an exploding Coca-Cola bottle to articulate the doctrine ofstrict liabilityfordefective products. Traynor'sconcurring opinioninEscola v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co.is widely recognized as a landmark case in US law today.
Karl Lagerfeldis the latest designer to have created a collection of aluminum bottles for Coca-Cola. Lagerfeld is not the first fashion designer to create a special version of the famous Coca-Cola Contour bottle. A number of other limited edition bottles by fashion designers for Coca-Cola Light soda have been created in the last few years, includingJean Paul Gaultier.
In 2009, in Italy, Coca-Cola Light had a Tribute to Fashion to celebrate 100 years of the recognizable contour bottle. Well known Italian designersAlberta Ferretti,Blumarine,Etro,Fendi,Marni,Missoni,Moschino, andVersaceeach designed limited edition bottles.
In 2019, Coca-Cola shared the first beverage bottle made with ocean plastic.
Pepsi, the flagship product ofPepsiCo, the Coca-Cola Company's main rival in the soft drink industry, is usually second to Coke in sales, and outsells Coca-Cola in some markets.RC Cola, now owned by theDr Pepper Snapple Group, the third-largest soft drink manufacturer, is also widely available.
Around the world, many local brands compete with Coke. In South and Central AmericaKola Real, also known as Big Cola, is a growing competitor to Coca-Cola.On the French island ofCorsica,Corsica Cola, made by brewers of the localPietra beer, is a growing competitor to Coca-Cola. In the French region ofBrittany,Breizh Colais available. In Peru,Inca Kolaoutsells Coca-Cola, which led the Coca-Cola Company to purchase the brand in 1999. In Sweden,Julmustoutsells Coca-Cola during the Christmas season.In Scotland, the locally producedIrn-Bruwas more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005, when Coca-Cola and Diet Coke began to outpace its sales.In the formerEast Germany,Vita Cola, invented during communist rule, is gaining popularity.
While Coca-Cola does not have the majority of the market share in India, The Coca-Cola Company's other brands likeThums UpandSpriteperform well. The Coca-Cola Company purchased Thums Up in 1993 when they re-entered the Indian market.As of 2023, Coca-Cola held a 9% market-share in India while Thums Up and Sprite had a 16% and 20% market share respectively.
Tropicola, a domestic drink, is served in Cuba instead of Coca-Cola, due to a United States embargo. French brandMecca-Colaand British brandQibla Colaare competitors to Coca-Cola in the Middle East.
In Turkey,Cola Turka, in Iran and the Middle East,ZamzamandParsi Cola, in some parts of China,Future Cola, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia,Kofola, in Slovenia,Cockta, and the inexpensive Mercator Cola, sold only in the country's biggest supermarket chain,Mercator, are some of the brand's competitors.
In 2021, Coca-Cola petitioned to cancel registrations for the marks Thums Up andLimcaissued to Meenaxi Enterprise, Inc. based on misrepresentation of source. TheTrademark Trial and Appeal Boardconcluded that "Meenaxi engaged in blatant misuse in a manner calculated to trade on the goodwill and reputation of Coca-Cola in an attempt to confuse consumers in the United States that its Thums Up and Limca marks were licensed or produced by the source of the same types of cola and lemon-lime soda sold under these marks for decades in India."
Coca-Cola's advertising has significantly affectedAmerican culture, and it is frequently credited with inventing the modern image ofSanta Clausas an old man in a red-and-white suit. Although the company did start using the red-and-white Santa image in the 1930s, with its winter advertising campaigns illustrated byHaddon Sundblom, the motif was already common.Coca-Cola was not even the first soft drink company to use the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising:White Rock Beveragesused Santa in advertisements for itsginger alein 1923, after first using him to sellmineral waterin 1915.Before Santa Claus, Coca-Cola relied on images of smartly dressed young women to sell its beverages. Coca-Cola's first such advertisement appeared in 1895, featuring the young Bostonian actressHilda Clarkas its spokeswoman.
1941 saw the first use of the nickname "Coke" as an official trademark for the product, with a series of advertisements informing consumers that "Coke means Coca-Cola".In 1971, a song from a Coca-Cola commercial called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", produced byBilly Davis, became ahit single. During the 1950s the termcola warsemerged, describing the on-going battle between Coca-Cola and Pepsi for supremacy in the soft drink industry. Coca-Cola and Pepsi were competing with new products, global expansion, US marketing initiatives and sport sponsorships.
Coke's advertising is pervasive, as one ofWoodruff'sstated goals was to ensure that everyone on Earth drank Coca-Cola as their preferred beverage. This is especially true in southern areas of the United States, such asAtlanta, where Coke was born.
Some Coca-Colatelevision commercialsbetween 1960 through 1986 were written and produced by former Atlanta radio veteranDon Naylor(WGST1936–1950,WAGA1951–1959) during his career as a producer for theMcCann Ericksonadvertising agency. Many of these early television commercials for Coca-Cola featured movie stars, sports heroes, and popular singers.
During the 1980s,Pepsiran a series of television advertisements showing people participating in taste tests demonstrating that, according to the commercials, "fifty percent of the participants who said they preferred Cokeactuallychose the Pepsi."Coca-Cola ran ads to combat Pepsi's ads in an incident sometimes referred to as thecola wars; one of Coke's ads compared the so-calledPepsi challengeto twochimpanzeesdeciding whichtennis ballwas furrier. Thereafter, Coca-Cola regained its leadership in the market.
Selenawas a spokesperson for Coca-Cola from 1989 until the time of her death. She filmed three commercials for the company. During 1994, to commemorate her five years with the company, Coca-Cola issued special Selena coke bottles.
The Coca-Cola Company purchasedColumbia Picturesin 1982, and began inserting Coke-product images into many of its films.After a few early successes during Coca-Cola's ownership, Columbia began to underperform, and the studio was sold toSonyin 1989.
Coca-Cola has gone through a number of differentadvertising slogansin its long history, including "It's the real thing","The pause that refreshes","I'd like to buy the world a Coke",and "Coke is it".
In 1999, the Coca-Cola Company introduced the Coke Card, a loyalty program that offered deals on items like clothes, entertainment and food when the cardholder purchased a Coca-Cola Classic. The scheme was cancelled after three years, with a Coca-Cola spokesperson declining to state why.
The company then introduced another loyalty campaign in 2006,My Coke Rewards. This allows consumers to earn points by entering codes from specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products into a website. These points can be redeemed for various prizes or sweepstakes entries.
In Australia in 2011, Coca-Cola began the "share a Coke" campaign, where the Coca-Cola logo was replaced on the bottles and replaced with first names. Coca-Cola used the 150 most popular names in Australia to print on the bottles.The campaign was paired with a website page, Facebook page, and an online "share a virtual Coke". The same campaign was introduced to Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero bottles and cans in the UK in 2013.
Coca-Cola has also advertised its product to be consumed as a breakfast beverage, instead of coffee or tea for the morning caffeine.
From 1886 to 1959, the price of Coca-Cola was fixed at five cents, in part due to an advertising campaign.
Throughout the years, Coca-Cola has released limited-time collector bottles for Christmas.
Debuted in 1995, the "Holidays are coming!" advertisement featured a train of red delivery trucks, emblazoned with the Coca-Cola name and decorated withChristmas lights, driving through a snowy landscape and causing everything that they pass to light up and people to watch as they pass through.
The advertisement fell into disuse in 2001, as the Coca-Cola Company restructured its advertising campaigns so that advertising around the world was produced locally in each country, rather than centrally in the company's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.In 2007, the company brought back the campaign after, according to the company, many consumers telephoned its information center saying that they considered it to mark the beginning of Christmas.The advertisement was created by US advertising agency Doner, and has been part of the company's global advertising campaign for many years.
Keith Law, a producer and writer of commercials forBelfast CityBeat, was not convinced by Coca-Cola's reintroduction of the advertisement in 2007, saying that "I do not think there's anything Christmassy aboutHGVsand the commercial is too generic."
In 2001, singerMelanie Thorntonrecorded the campaign's advertising jingle as a single, "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)", which entered the pop-music charts in Germany at no. 9.In 2005, Coca-Cola expanded the advertising campaign to radio, employing several variations of the jingle.
In 2011, Coca-Cola launched a campaign for the Indian holidayDiwali. The campaign included commercials, a song, and an integration withShah Rukh Khan'sfilmRa.One.
In November 2024, Coca-Cola released three shortAI-generatedvideos as its Christmas ads, reviving the original 1995 "Holidays are Coming" ads. The ads were created by three AI studios: Secret Level, Silverside AI, and the Wild Card.Upon its release, the commercials drew backlash onsocial media.Alex Hirsch, the creator ofGravity Falls, wrote on Twitter: "FUN FACT: @CocaCola is 'red' because it's made from the blood of out-of-work artists! #HolidayFactz".The company defended ads, writing toThe New York Times"Coca-Cola will always remain dedicated to creating the highest level of work at the intersection of human creativity and technology".
Coca-Cola was the first commercialsponsorof theOlympic Games, at the1928 gamesinAmsterdam, and has been an Olympics sponsor ever since.This corporate sponsorship included the1996 Summer Olympicshosted inAtlanta, which allowed Coca-Cola to spotlight its hometown. Most recently, Coca-Cola has released localized commercials for the2010 Winter OlympicsinVancouver; one Canadian commercial referred to Canada's hockey heritage and was modified after Canada won the gold medal game on February 28, 2010, by changing the ending line of the commercial to say "Now they know whose game they're playing".
Since1978, Coca-Cola has sponsored theFIFA World Cup, and other competitions organized byFIFA.One FIFA tournament trophy, theFIFA World Youth Championshipfrom Tunisia in1977to Malaysia in1997, was called "FIFA – Coca-Cola Cup". In addition, Coca-Cola sponsorsNASCAR's annualCoca-Cola 600andCoke Zero Sugar 400atCharlotte Motor SpeedwayinConcord, North CarolinaandDaytona International Speedwayin Daytona, Florida, respectively; since 2020, Coca-Cola has served as a premier partner of theNASCAR Cup Series, which includes holding the naming rights to the series' regular season championship trophy.Coca-Cola is also the sponsor of theiRacingPro Series.
Coca-Cola has a long history of sports marketing relationships, which over the years have includedMajor League Baseball, theNational Football League, theNational Basketball Association, and theNational Hockey League, as well as with many teams within those leagues. Coca-Cola has had a longtime relationship with the NFL'sPittsburgh Steelers, due in part to the now-famous1979 television commercialfeaturing"Mean Joe" Greene, leading to the two opening the Coca-Cola Great Hall atHeinz Fieldin 2001 and a more recentCoca-Cola Zerocommercial featuringTroy Polamalu.
Coca-Cola is the official soft drink of manycollegiate footballteams throughout the nation, partly due to Coca-Cola providing those schools with upgraded athletic facilities in exchange for Coca-Cola's sponsorship. This is especially prevalent at the high school level, which is more dependent on such contracts due to tighter budgets.
Coca-Cola was one of the official sponsors of the1996 Cricket World Cupheld on theIndian subcontinent. Coca-Cola is also one of the associate sponsors ofDelhi Capitalsin theIndian Premier League.
In England, Coca-Cola was the main sponsor ofThe Football Leaguebetween 2004 and 2010, a name given to the three professional divisions below thePremier Leagueinsoccer. In 2005, Coca-Cola launched a competition for the 72 clubs of The Football League – it was called "Win a Player". This allowed fans to place one vote per day for their favorite club, with one entry being chosen at random earning £250,000 for the club; this was repeated in 2006. The "Win A Player" competition was very controversial, as at the end of the 2 competitions,Leeds United A.F.C.had the most votes by more than double, yet they did not win any money to spend on a new player for the club. In 2007, the competition changed to "Buy a Player". This competition allowed fans to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola Zero and submit the code on the wrapper on the Coca-Cola website. This code could then earn anything from 50p to £100,000 for a club of their choice. This competition was favored over the old "Win a Player" competition, as it allowed all clubs to win some money. Between 1992 and 1998, Coca-Cola was the title sponsor of theFootball League Cup(Coca-Cola Cup), the secondary cup tournament of England. Starting in2019–20 season, Coca-Cola has agreed its biggest UK sponsorship deal by becomingPremier Leaguesoccer's seventh and final commercial partnerfor theUKandIreland,China,Malaysia,Indonesia,Singapore,Egyptianand theWest Africanmarkets.
Between 1994 and 1997, Coca-Cola was also the title sponsor of theScottish League Cup, renaming it to the Coca-Cola Cup like its English counterpart. From 1998 to 2001, the company was the title sponsor of theIrish League CupinNorthern Ireland, where it was named the Coca-Cola League Cup.
Coca-Cola is the presenting sponsor of theTour Championship, the final event of thePGA Tourheld each year atEast Lake Golf ClubinAtlanta, Georgia.
Introduced March 1, 2010, in Canada, to celebrate the2010 Winter Olympics, Coca-Cola sold gold colored cans in packs of 12 355 mL (12 imp fl oz; 12 US fl oz) each, in select stores.
Coca-Cola which has been a partner withUEFAsince 1988.
Coca-Cola has been prominently featured in many films and television programs. It was a major plot element in films such asOne, Two, Three,The Coca-Cola Kid, andThe Gods Must Be Crazy, among many others. In music, such as inthe Beatles' song, "Come Together", the lyrics say, "He shoot Coca-Cola".The Beach Boysalso referenced Coca-Cola in their 1964 song "All Summer Long", singing "Member when you spilled Coke all over your blouse?"
The best selling solo artist of all timeElvis Presley, promoted Coca-Cola during hislast tour of 1977.The Coca-Cola Company used Presley's image to promote the product.For example, the company used a song performed by Presley, "A Little Less Conversation", in a Japanese Coca-Cola commercial.
Other artists that promoted Coca-Cola includeDavid Bowie,George Michael,Elton John,andWhitney Houston,who appeared in the Diet Coke commercial, among many others.
Not all musical references to Coca-Cola went well. A line in "Lola" bythe Kinkswas originally recorded as "You drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola." When theBritish Broadcasting Corporationrefused to play the song because of the commercial reference, lead singerRay Daviesre-recorded the lyric as "it tastes just like cherry cola" to get airplay for the song.
Political cartoonistMichel Kichkasatirized a famous Coca-Cola billboard in his 1982 poster "And I Love New York." On the billboard, the Coca-Cola wave is accompanied by the words "Enjoy Coke." In Kichka's poster, the lettering and script above the Coca-Cola wave instead read "Enjoy Cocaine."
Coca-Cola has a high degree of identification with the United States, being considered by some an "American Brand" or as an item representing America, criticized asCocacolonization.After World War II, this gave rise to the brief production ofWhite Cokeat the request of and forSoviet MarshalGeorgy Zhukov, who did not want to be seen drinking a symbol ofAmerican imperialism. The bottles were given by the PresidentEisenhowerduring a conference, and Marshal Zhukov enjoyed the drink. The bottles were disguised asvodkabottles, with the cap having a red star design, to avoid suspicion of Soviet officials.
Coca-Cola was introduced to China in 1927, and was very popular until 1949. After theChinese Civil Warended in 1949, the beverage was no longer imported into China, as it was perceived to be a symbol of decadentWestern cultureandcapitalistlifestyle. Importation and sales of the beverage resumed in 1979, after diplomatic relations between the United States and China were restored.The agreement to allow Coca-Cola into the Chinese market was reached duringDeng Xiaoping's visit to the United States.
There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola inArab countriesdue to Coke's early investment in Israel during theArab League boycott of Israel(its competitor Pepsi stayed out of Israel).Mecca-Colaand Pepsi are popular alternatives in the Middle East.
A Coca-Cola fountain dispenser (officially a Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus or FGBA) was developed for use on theSpace Shuttleas a test bed to determine if carbonated beverages can be produced from separately stored carbon dioxide, water, and flavored syrups and determine if the resulting fluids can be made available for consumption without bubble nucleation and resulting foam formation. FGBA-1 flew onSTS-63in 1995 and dispensed pre-mixed beverages, followed by FGBA-2 onSTS-77the next year. The latter mixed CO₂, water, and syrup to make beverages. It supplied 1.65 liters each of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke.
The drink is also often ametonymfor the Coca-Cola Company.
Coca-Cola is sometimesused for the treatment of gastric phytobezoars. In about 50% of cases studied, Coca-Cola alone was found to be effective in gastricphytobezoardissolution. This treatment can however result in the potential of developing small bowel obstruction in a minority of cases, necessitating surgical intervention.
Criticism of Coca-Cola has arisen from various groups around the world, concerning a variety of issues, includinghealth effects,environmental issues, andbusiness practices. The drink's coca flavoring, and the nickname "Coke", remain a common theme of criticism due to the relationship with the illegal drug cocaine. In 1911, the US government seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola syrup inChattanooga, Tennessee, alleging the caffeine in its drink was "injurious to health", leading to amended food safety legislation.
Beginning in the 1940s, PepsiCo started marketing their drinks toAfrican Americans, a niche market that was largely ignored bywhite-owned manufacturers in the US, and was able to use itsanti-racismstance as a selling point, attacking Coke's reluctance to hire blacks and support by the chairman of the Coca-Cola Company for segregationistGovernor of GeorgiaHerman Talmadge.As a result of this campaign, PepsiCo's market share as compared to Coca-Cola's shot up dramatically in the 1950s with African American soft-drink consumers three times more likely to purchase Pepsi over Coke.
The Coca-Cola Company, its subsidiaries and products have been subject to sustained criticism byconsumer groups,environmentalists, andwatchdogs, particularly since the early 2000s.In 2019,BreakFreeFromPlasticnamed Coca-Cola the single biggest plasticpolluterin the world. After 72,541 volunteers collected 476,423 pieces ofplastic wastefrom around where they lived, a total of 11,732 pieces were found to be labeled with a Coca-Cola brand (including theDasani,Sprite, andFantabrands) in 37 countries across four continents.At the 2020World Economic Forumin Davos, Coca-Cola's head of sustainability, Bea Perez, said customers like them because they reseal and are lightweight, and "business won't be in business if we don't accommodate consumers."In February 2022, Coca-Cola announced that it will aim to make 25 percent of its packaging reusable by 2030.
Coca-Cola Classic is rich in sugars, especiallysucrose, which causesdental carieswhen consumed regularly. Besides this, the high caloric value of the sugars themselves can contribute toobesity. Both are major health issues in the developed world.
In February 2021, Coca-Cola received criticism after a video of a training session, which told employees to "try to be less white", was leaked by an employee. The session also said in order to be "less white" employees had to be less "arrogant" and "defensive".
The company, along with Pepsico and other American conglomerates, has faced criticism and an ongoing boycott by the pro-Palestine movement, especially amidst theIsrael–Hamas war.Critics pointed to the company's ties with Israel, including its donations to far-right Zionist organizationIm Tirtzu, to justify the boycott.In June 2024, Coca-Cola's Bangladesh distributor ran an ad in Bangladesh—where it faced a heavy boycott—attempting to distance the company from Israel.
In July 2001, the Coca-Cola Company was sued over its alleged use offar-rightdeath squads(theUnited Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) to kidnap, torture, and kill Colombian bottler workers that were linked withtrade unionactivity. Coca-Cola was sued in a US federal court in Miami by the Colombian food and drink unionSinaltrainal. The suit alleged that Coca-Cola was indirectly responsible for having "contracted with or otherwise directedparamilitarysecurity forces that utilized extreme violence and murdered, tortured, unlawfully detained or otherwise silenced trade union leaders". This sparked campaigns to boycott Coca-Cola in the UK, US, Germany, Italy, and Australia.Javier Correa, the president of Sinaltrainal, said the campaign aimed to put pressure on Coca-Cola "to mitigate the pain and suffering" that union members had suffered.
Speaking from the Coca-Cola Company's headquarters in Atlanta, company spokesperson Rafael Fernandez Quiros said "Coca-Cola denies any connection to any human-rights violation of this type" and added "We do not own or operate the plants".
Coca-Cola can be used to remove grease and oil stains fromconcrete,metal, and clothes.It is also used to delay concrete from setting.