Coca-Cola
The Archive
From a brass kettle in Atlanta to the most recognised brand on Earth — this is the story no glass of Coke can fully contain.
Jacobs' Pharmacy
Peachtree Street, Atlanta
"Delicious and Refreshing"
— First Slogan, 1886
The Beginning
Dr. John Pemberton'sRemarkable Invention
On a warm spring afternoon in 1886, Dr. John Stith Pemberton — Confederate veteran, Atlanta pharmacist, and restless inventor — stirred a thick, caramel-coloured syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in the back yard of his Marietta Street home.
Carrying a jug of this new concoction just a short distance to Jacobs' Pharmacy on Peachtree Street, Pemberton mixed it with carbonated water and offered it to anyone who would try it. At five cents a glass, it was declared both "Delicious" and "Refreshing."
His bookkeeper and partner, Frank Mason Robinson, contributed two lasting gifts: the name "Coca-Cola" — chosen for the two main ingredients — and the looping Spencerian script in which he first wrote it. That elegant handwriting has barely changed in over 140 years.
Those first nine servings a day, at a single Atlanta soda fountain, were the humble beginning of the world's most recognised commercial brand. Pemberton died in 1888, never knowing the scale of what he had created.
"That looping script, penned by Frank Robinson in 1886, has appeared on more surfaces than any other trademark in history."
Through the Ages
A Century & More of Milestones
Scroll through the defining moments — triumphs, controversies, and cultural breakthroughs — that shaped the world's most recognised brand.
The Formula is Born
Dr. John Stith Pemberton carries a jug of caramel syrup to Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta, mixes it with carbonated water, and sells the world's first Coca-Cola for five cents a glass on 8 May. Nine servings are sold on that first day.
The Formula is Born
Dr. John Stith Pemberton carries a jug of caramel syrup to Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta, mixes it with carbonated water, and sells the world's first Coca-Cola for five cents a glass on 8 May. Nine servings are sold on that first day.
A Company is Incorporated
Asa Griggs Candler — who acquired the formula for a reported $2,300 — incorporates The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. His aggressive marketing strategy, including coupons for free glasses, sees the business double in size year after year.
A Company is Incorporated
Asa Griggs Candler — who acquired the formula for a reported $2,300 — incorporates The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. His aggressive marketing strategy, including coupons for free glasses, sees the business double in size year after year.
The Bottling Revolution
Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead secure the first Coca-Cola bottling franchise for the symbolic price of $1. This single handshake begins a franchise network that eventually covers the entire globe, taking Coke from soda fountain to every table on Earth.
The Bottling Revolution
Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead secure the first Coca-Cola bottling franchise for the symbolic price of $1. This single handshake begins a franchise network that eventually covers the entire globe, taking Coke from soda fountain to every table on Earth.
The Birth of the Contour Bottle
Earl Dean of the Root Glass Company wins a design competition with his iconic "hobble-skirt" contour bottle — reportedly inspired by the elongated shape of a cocoa pod. The bottle is intentionally designed to be identifiable in the dark, or even when broken into fragments. Design patent No. 48,160 transforms packaging forever.
The Birth of the Contour Bottle
Earl Dean of the Root Glass Company wins a design competition with his iconic "hobble-skirt" contour bottle — reportedly inspired by the elongated shape of a cocoa pod. The bottle is intentionally designed to be identifiable in the dark, or even when broken into fragments. Design patent No. 48,160 transforms packaging forever.
The Sundblom Santa
Chicago artist Haddon Sundblom paints his first warm, jovial, red-suited Santa Claus for Coca-Cola's winter advertising campaign. For 33 years, his lifelike illustrations — of a portly, rosy-cheeked Father Christmas pausing to enjoy a Coke — would powerfully shape the modern popular image of Santa Claus.
The Sundblom Santa
Chicago artist Haddon Sundblom paints his first warm, jovial, red-suited Santa Claus for Coca-Cola's winter advertising campaign. For 33 years, his lifelike illustrations — of a portly, rosy-cheeked Father Christmas pausing to enjoy a Coke — would powerfully shape the modern popular image of Santa Claus.
Coca-Cola Goes to War
Company president Robert Woodruff pledges that every American soldier in uniform can get a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents — regardless of what it costs the company. Sixty-four bottling plants are established near frontlines across multiple continents, and Coca-Cola becomes a powerful symbol of home, morale, and the freedoms being fought for.
Coca-Cola Goes to War
Company president Robert Woodruff pledges that every American soldier in uniform can get a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents — regardless of what it costs the company. Sixty-four bottling plants are established near frontlines across multiple continents, and Coca-Cola becomes a powerful symbol of home, morale, and the freedoms being fought for.
"I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke"
The "Hilltop" television commercial — featuring 500 young people from around the world gathered on an Italian hillside, singing of unity and harmony — becomes one of the most celebrated advertisements in history. It captures a generation's yearning for peace and positions Coca-Cola as a universal language.
"I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke"
The "Hilltop" television commercial — featuring 500 young people from around the world gathered on an Italian hillside, singing of unity and harmony — becomes one of the most celebrated advertisements in history. It captures a generation's yearning for peace and positions Coca-Cola as a universal language.
The New Coke Saga
On 23 April, Coca-Cola announces a sweeter new formula, replacing the original recipe for the first time in 99 years. Consumer outrage is swift and overwhelming — over 400,000 protest letters and calls flood company headquarters. A mere 79 days later, "Coca-Cola Classic" is reinstated, and the original formula triumphs. Widely regarded as both the greatest marketing blunder and greatest consumer-driven comeback in history.
The New Coke Saga
On 23 April, Coca-Cola announces a sweeter new formula, replacing the original recipe for the first time in 99 years. Consumer outrage is swift and overwhelming — over 400,000 protest letters and calls flood company headquarters. A mere 79 days later, "Coca-Cola Classic" is reinstated, and the original formula triumphs. Widely regarded as both the greatest marketing blunder and greatest consumer-driven comeback in history.
Return to South Africa
Following South Africa's historic democratic transition, Coca-Cola re-establishes full, direct operations in the country. Building on a franchise history stretching back to the late 1920s, the company signals enduring confidence in the new South Africa, rapidly expanding its bottling network and becoming one of the country's most significant long-term investors.
Return to South Africa
Following South Africa's historic democratic transition, Coca-Cola re-establishes full, direct operations in the country. Building on a franchise history stretching back to the late 1920s, the company signals enduring confidence in the new South Africa, rapidly expanding its bottling network and becoming one of the country's most significant long-term investors.
Digital Transformation
Coca-Cola pioneers AI-powered marketing and digital consumer engagement platforms — using data to personalise refreshment at scale. The company accelerates sustainable packaging innovation including plant-based and recycled materials, reducing its environmental footprint while reaffirming the timeless taste first created in a brass kettle in 1886.
Digital Transformation
Coca-Cola pioneers AI-powered marketing and digital consumer engagement platforms — using data to personalise refreshment at scale. The company accelerates sustainable packaging innovation including plant-based and recycled materials, reducing its environmental footprint while reaffirming the timeless taste first created in a brass kettle in 1886.
The Visual Archive
Icons of an Era
Bottles that changed packaging history. Campaigns that changed culture. A presence that changed South Africa. Explore the visual legacy.
Hutchinson Bottle
Hutchinson Bottle
The first standardised Coca-Cola vessel — a heavy, hand-blown glass bottle with a wire-and-rubber "Hutchinson" stopper. Robustly made for the early franchise bottlers.
Straight-Sided Bottle
Straight-Sided Bottle
A taller, largely straight-sided glass bottle produced in amber, aqua, or clear. Without standardisation, counterfeits flourished — prompting the famous design competition.
Contour "Hobble-Skirt" Bottle
Contour "Hobble-Skirt" Bottle
Earl Dean's patent-winning design — curving inward at the waist and identifiable even in the dark or as a fragment. The most recognised bottle shape in the world.
ACL Christmas Bottle
ACL Christmas Bottle
Applied Colour Labels replaced paper, and the seasonal Christmas bottle — in Coca-Cola red and white — became an annual collector's institution for generations of South Africans.
Plastic PET Bottle
Plastic PET Bottle
The introduction of the 2-litre PET bottle transformed Coca-Cola into a home staple across South Africa and the world. Convenience won — but the glass contour was never abandoned.
100th Anniversary Contour
100th Anniversary Contour
Marking a century of the world's most iconic bottle, this gold-label heritage edition revived the 1915 original — reminding a new generation of its timeless, patented perfection.
PlantBottle™
PlantBottle™
Made from plant-based materials, the PlantBottle reduces fossil-fuel reliance and supports Coca-Cola's World Without Waste initiative — while preserving the beloved contour silhouette.
By the Numbers
The Scale of a Legend
Behind every sip is a global system of extraordinary proportions — built over 140 years of relentless ambition and unstoppable refreshment.
“If all the Coca-Cola ever produced were in 8-oz bottles placed end-to-end at the equator, they would reach to the moon and back more than 1,057 times.”
— The Coca-Cola Company Archive
A Local Story
Coca-Cola in South Africa
Coca-Cola's relationship with South Africa is one of the brand's most enduring and meaningful — spanning nearly a century of shared history, hardship, transformation, and growth.
From the establishment of first local bottling operations in the late 1920s, through the complexities of the apartheid era, to a triumphant return in 1994 and a deep ongoing commitment to South African communities — this is a story of resilience, reinvestment, and refreshment.
Key Chapters in the South African Story
First Bottling Operations
Coca-Cola is first bottled in South Africa, establishing local franchise operations that will endure through the decades and anchor the brand's deep roots in the country.
Expanding Across the Nation
Local bottling partners invest in distribution infrastructure, bringing Coca-Cola to cities, mining towns, and rural communities across South Africa's diverse regions.
Formal Withdrawal
Under growing international anti-apartheid pressure, Coca-Cola formally divests from direct South African operations. Independent local bottling partners continue to operate, preserving continuity for South African consumers and workers.
Return to a Free South Africa
Following the landmark democratic elections of April 1994, Coca-Cola announces its full return to South Africa — one of the first major multinationals to do so. The company makes significant capital commitments signalling enduring confidence in the nation's future.
Community & Sustainability Investment
The Coca-Cola system in South Africa deepens its community ties through the RAIN Initiative (Replenish Africa Initiative) for safe water access, BEE-aligned business partnerships, and extensive youth employment and skills development programmes.
Part of the South African Fabric
Today, the Coca-Cola system directly employs thousands of South Africans and supports a network spanning from large retailers to township spaza shops. Across generations and communities, Coca-Cola remains a trusted and beloved part of South African daily life.
"South Africa is not just a market for Coca-Cola — it is a community in which we are deeply invested, one that has shown extraordinary resilience and carries extraordinary promise."
— Coca-Cola Sub-Saharan Africa
Get in Touch
The Archive WelcomesYour Story
Whether you're a researcher, collector, historian, or simply a lifelong fan with memories to share — we'd love to hear from you. Reach out, and let us know how Coca-Cola has been part of your story.