Coca-Cola has a history almost as colorful as the drink itself. The Coca-Cola Company’s headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, where the beverage was first concocted in 1886. Since it’s invention by Dr. John S. Pemberton Coca Cola started it’s way to the top, blessed with some of the most visionary and inspired promoters, marketers and advertisers in advertising history.
Newspaper coke ad from 1905
A cold bottle of delicious refreshing Coca-Cola, newspaper ad 1905
Coca-Cola calendar with (Hilda Clark) 1900
Coca-Cola advertisement on the cover of "American Druggist" Magazine, 1900.
1886 - The first advertisement for Coca-Cola
1880s - Coca-Cola syrup and extract
Coca-Cola ads 1892 - 1893
In 1904 the company’s headquarters in Atlanta began selling Coca-Cola pepsin gum.
Coca-Cola pepsin gum ads 1904-1905
After exercise drink coca-cola 1905
Coca-Cola delicious refreshing at soda founts 1905
It satisfies the thirsty and helps the weary 1905
In 1943, Coca-Cola put out an advertisement urging people to buy U. S. War Bonds and War Stamps.Coca-Cola strongly aligned itself with the war effort. The newly created elf-looking Coca-Cola mascot named “Sprite” appears in the new advertisements.
Coca-Cola War Bonds - For Victory
Buy more War Bonds = A quicker Victory
Coca Cola (GmbH) were the German bottlers for Coke under the leadership of the CEO Max Keith. After the US entered the war in 1941 Max Keith couldn’t get Coca Cola syrup from America to make Coke so he invented a new drink out of the ingredients he had available to him and made it specifically for the Nazi market and the Third Reich. The drink was called Fanta.
Fanta was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company in 1960.
Old Fanta advertisement
Airplane spotter’s plane identification tips and hints on playing cards with Coca Cola advertising. These cards were prepared by Coke to “assist you in learning the characteristics of United Nations and Enemy Aircraft.”
Coca-Cola airplane spotter cards
Coca-Cola airplane spotter cards 2
Coca-Cola airplane spotter cards 3
Coca-Cola airplane spotter cards 4
Spotter cards are still used by the armed forces today. For example, personality identification playing cards were recently distributed in Iraq in order to train soldiers to spot individuals such as Saddam Hussein.
Coca Cola was involved in the Second World War. In 1941, when the United States entered the war, Woodruff decided that Coca Cola’s place was near the front line.He sent an order to
“See that ever man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca Cola for 5 cents wherever he is and whatever the cost to the company”.
Coca Cola had not only lifted the spirits of the US Armed Forces, it had also introduced itself to new markets. When the war ended the bottling plants and a little bit of America stayed too.
Coca-Cola goes along
Have a Coca-Cola = Howdy, Neighbor
Coca-Cola Compares the Wartime experiences of Three Wars, c.1943
In 1925 Coca Cola made a lucky watch fob in the shape of a swastika with the slogan, “Drink Coca Cola five cents in bottles.” At that time, the Swastika was still a symbol of ‘Good Luck’. The watch fob is approximately 4cm x 4cm in size and is made of brass.
Coca Cola swastika
How Boeing company advertised space exploration and defense programs in the early 1960s
How well known brands advertised during World War II [15 pics]
Coca-Cola ads in Nazi Germany
Coca-Cola “Feel The Curves”
Coca-Cola WWII American airplane posters