How Coca Cola Made Its Own History

Can you remember the lyrics of “Fifty Millions Times a Day at home at work or on the way there’s nothing like a Coca Cola, nothing like a Coke!” if you do then you may remember a bit of nostalgia along with it. These advertisements were engrained in our hearts and in our minds and are a part of our childhood. Coke has also evolved to become a part of our adulthood and it has grown right along with us althoug it  is much older than us. Have you ever wondered how Coca Cola got started? Here is what I found out.

Doctor John Pemberton was a pharmacist who lived in Atlanta, Georgia. In May of 1886 he made the first of what Coke would become. It was made in his back yard in a three legged brass kettle. The name was suggested by his friend and bookkeeper Frank Robinson. Now Frank also had something else that would serve John’s needs in ways he could not have imagined. Frank had wonderful penmanship and wrote the coke logo that we see on the product up to this day.

Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta was the first ones that ever sold this product and it happened on May 8th, 1886. The sales at that time weren’t exactly a hit with only nine servings being sold in one day. At the end of the year the total sales added up to $50.00 and it cost John $70.00 to make it. Needless to say it was a loss for the first year. John was not a man to give up easily and in 1905 was marketing Coke as a tonic. Now hold onto your hat for this one because at this time the ingredients contained caffeine-rich kola nut and COCAINE! Oh how times have changed!

In 1887 John Pemberton gave up and sold the patent to another pharmacist by the name of Asa Candler for the whopping sum of $2,300 but stayed working for his new boss. Candler had his own ideas and started a very aggressive marketing plan which he put into effect. It worked; between the years of 1890 to 1900 the sales had increased by 4000%. By the turn of the century Coca Cola was being sold across the United States and Canada. At the same time Candler started selling to independent bottle companies that had a license to sell drinks.

There is a price to be paid for progress and alas the soda fountains that had been so popular fell to the wayside in 1960 making way for the bottle carbonated drink. This took with it a way of life that would never return to the way it was; at the time of the soda fountains it was a meeting place for young and old. It was where you heard all the news about town and all of this was slowly replaced by a bottle of Coke. Coke was growing up and in 1985 the new Coke formula was released. The cocaine had been dropped from the secret recipe long ago.

The popular “Things Go Better with Coke” campaign was ended in 1969, and then came the catchier “It’s The Real Thing”. This would be the most popular ad that Coke had ever experienced in its lifetime up to now. The ad that says “I’d like to buy the World a Coke” was brought on the scene in 1971. This happened accidently when Bill Backerthe CEO of Coke was on a trip and was forced to land in Ireland due to the heavy fog at Heathrow Airport. The passengers were more than him upset due to this delay yet when Backer saw the irate passengers enjoying themselves and laughing over a coke it struck him that was what coke was all about and it was happening all over the world. Thus the new song was born. This song showed that Coke was a bit of commonality all over the world.

Backer never did get to Heathrow but instead he went on a bus to meet with his two song writers in London who already had their own ideas for a new song but Backer was determined and worked through the night with the songwriters. He didn’t know how the song should go but he knew the last line and that would be “I’d like to buy the World a Coke and keep it Company”. On February 12, 1971 the song was shipped to all radio stations all over the States. It was a total flop; bottlers hated it and refused to advertise it. When it did get aired the public response was no better. Backer did not give up on his idea and met with Coca Cola Executives claiming that the ad was still viable. He finally had the go ahead and with a budget of $250.000 for filming, the largest budget that was ever devoted to a television commercial up to then, he put the song to the test.

Europe was no different when the song was released but they released it again in July 1971 but here there was a difference and it came in the form of being very dramatic so much so that they had people calling the radio stations asking for the ad to be played. This song has proven to have a lasting connection and it has proved to be the best commercials of all time.

Coke will never go out of style although we see many changes from year to year. Coke has a connection in each of us during our childhood. I’m still partial to the “Fifty Millions Times a Day, one but I suppose each has their own memories when it comes to this product.