Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola, often called Coke, is a popular cola soft drink made by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, people in over 200 countries enjoyed Coke products, with more than 1.8 billion drinks consumed each day worldwide. Coca-Cola was named one of the world's most valuable brands in 2023.

The drink was created in the late 1800s by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta and was first sold as a patent medicine. Soon after, a businessman named Asa Griggs Candler bought the rights and helped make Coca-Cola famous around the world. The name comes from two original ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts, which give the drink its caffeine.

Today, the Coca-Cola Company makes a special concentrate that bottlers mix with water and sugar to create the final product. These bottlers sell Coca-Cola in cans, bottles, and vending machines everywhere. Over the years, the company has introduced many different kinds of Coke, such as Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and Coca-Cola Cherry.

History

19th century origins

Confederate Colonel John Pemberton, wounded in the American Civil War, had a medical degree and wanted to find a substitute for a certain drug. In 1885 at his drugstore in Columbus, Georgia, he created a special drink called Pemberton's French Wine Coca. His recipe included the African kola nut, which gave the drink its caffeine.

In 1886, when laws were passed against alcohol in Atlanta and Fulton County, Pemberton made a new version of his drink without alcohol, called Coca-Cola. It was first sold at a drugstore in Atlanta on May 8, 1886, for five cents a glass. People liked drinking carbonated water, and Pemberton said his drink could help with many health problems.

Company

After Pemberton passed away in 1888, a businessman named Asa Candler worked hard to take control of Coca-Cola. Candler bought the rights to the name "Coca-Cola" and became the sole owner. He made sure Coca-Cola became a well-known company.

Origins of bottling

The first time Coca-Cola was put in bottles was in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1894. Later, two men from Chattanooga, Tennessee convinced Candler to let them bottle the drink. This started Coca-Cola being sold in bottles everywhere.

20th century

The first big sign advertising Coca-Cola was painted in Cartersville, Georgia in 1894. By 1955, Coca-Cola started coming in cans. In the 1970s, Coca-Cola changed from using sugar to high-fructose corn syrup because sugar prices went up.

New Coke

In 1985, Coca-Cola changed its recipe to a new version called "New Coke." But many people missed the old taste, so Coca-Cola brought back the original formula and called it Coca-Cola Classic.

21st century

Coca-Cola returned to Iraq in 2005 after many years. In 2021, Coca-Cola planned to use more recycled plastic in its bottles to help the environment. In 2025, Coca-Cola announced it would start selling smaller cans of its drinks in convenience stores for the first time.

Production

Listed ingredients

Coca-Cola is made with simple ingredients. It includes carbonated water, sugar (either sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup, depending on where you are), caffeine, phosphoric acid, caramel color, and natural flavorings. A typical can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar, 34 mg of caffeine, 45 mg of sodium, no fat, no potassium, and 140 calories.

Formula of natural flavorings

The exact recipe for Coca-Cola's special flavors is kept secret. While all other ingredients are listed on the bottle or can, the special flavor recipe is protected. For many years, the original recipe was kept safe in a special vault. In 2011, it was moved to a new vault that visitors can see at the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta.

Use of stimulants in formula

When Coca-Cola was first made, it contained two special ingredients: caffeine from kola nuts and a small amount from coca leaves. Over time, Coca-Cola stopped using the coca leaf. Today, it uses a special extract made from coca leaves, but without any cocaine. The caffeine in Coca-Cola now comes from kola nuts.

Franchised production model

Coca-Cola uses a special way to make and sell its drink. The Coca-Cola Company makes a special syrup and sells it to bottlers around the world. These bottlers mix the syrup with water and sweeteners, add carbonation, and then sell the final drink in stores, restaurants, and vending machines. Some of these bottlers are partly owned by Coca-Cola, while others are independent.

Geographic spread

Coca-Cola has been sold outside the United States since the early 1900s. It was first sold in Britain on August 31, 1900, and a special mix called the Cuba Libre was made in Havana after the Spanish–American War in 1898. For many years, Coca-Cola was mainly found in North and Central America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and parts of Asia. This changed in the 1940s when the drink spread to South America and more of Europe after World War II.

Today, Coca-Cola is available in almost every country except Cuba and North Korea. Even in these places, people sometimes find ways to get the drink. Coca-Cola stopped selling in Russia after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. There have also been interesting stories about Coca-Cola in the Middle East and China, where people created fun translations for the name before the company chose one that meant "to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice."

Brand portfolio

This section lists different kinds of Coca-Cola drinks made around the world. Besides the original drink without caffeine, many new fruit-flavored drinks have been added over time. Versions of Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar are not included here; you can find those in their own articles.

Logo design

The Coca-Cola logo was made in 1885 by John Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson. Robinson created the name and chose a special curly writing style called Spencerian script, which was popular handwriting in the United States at that time.

Robinson also helped with early advertising for Coca-Cola. He suggested giving away free drink coupons and putting up banners and streetcar signs in Atlanta.

There was some talk in Egypt in 1951 about the Coca-Cola logo possibly looking like certain words when seen in a mirror.

Contour bottle design

"Coke bottle" redirects here. For the song, see Coke Bottle (song).

The special Coca-Cola bottle, called the "contour bottle" by the company, was designed by bottle designer Earl R. Dean and Coca-Cola's general counsel, Harold Hirsch. In 1915, Coca-Cola wanted a bottle that people could recognize even by touch and that would be easy to identify if broken.

Chapman J. Root, leader of the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana, worked with his team to design the bottle. They decided to base it on one of Coca-Cola's ingredients, but they couldn't find pictures of those ingredients. Instead, Earl R. Dean was inspired by a cocoa pod he saw in a book. He made a sketch, and after some changes, the new bottle design was chosen in 1916 and went on sale that same year. By 1920, this bottle became the standard Coca-Cola bottle. A new version was patented on December 25, 1923, earning the nickname the "Christmas bottle." Today, this bottle shape is one of the most famous in the world.

Raymond Loewy updated the design in 1955 for larger bottle sizes.

Designer bottles

Karl Lagerfeld created a special set of aluminum bottles for Coca-Cola. He is one of several fashion designers who have made special edition Coca-Cola bottles. In 2009, to celebrate 100 years of the famous Coca-Cola bottle shape, Italian designers like Alberta Ferretti, Blumarine, Etro, Fendi, Marni, Missoni, Moschino, and Versace each made unique bottles for Coca-Cola Light in Italy. In 2019, Coca-Cola introduced the first beverage bottle made from plastic collected from the ocean.

Competitors

Pepsi, made by PepsiCo, is Coca-Cola's main rival and usually sells a bit less than Coke, but sometimes sells more in certain places. RC Cola, owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, is another popular choice.

All around the world, many local drinks compete with Coca-Cola. In South and Central America, Kola Real, also called Big Cola, is a strong competitor. On the French island of Corsica, Corsica Cola, made by the same people who brew the local Pietra beer, is also popular. In the French region of Brittany, you can find Breizh Cola. In Peru, Inca Kola used to sell more than Coca-Cola, but Coca-Cola bought the brand in 1999. In Sweden, julmust is more popular than Coca-Cola during Christmas time. In Scotland, Irn-Bru was more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005. In the former East Germany, Vita Cola, created during communist times, is becoming more popular again.

In India, while Coca-Cola itself isn't the biggest seller, its other drinks like Thums Up and Sprite do well. Coca-Cola bought Thums Up in 1993 when it returned to India. By 2023^[update], Coca-Cola had a 9% share of the market in India, while Thums Up and Sprite had 16% and 20% respectively.

In Cuba, Tropicola is sold instead of Coca-Cola because of a United States rule. In the Middle East, Mecca-Cola from France and Qibla Cola from Britain are also competitors.

In Turkey, Cola Turka competes with Coca-Cola. In Iran and the Middle East, Zamzam and Parsi Cola are options. In parts of China, Future Cola is available. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Kofola is a popular choice. In Slovenia, Cockta and an affordable drink called Mercator Cola, sold only in the big Mercator supermarkets, are also competitors.

Advertising

See also: Coca-Cola slogans

Coca-Cola's very first advertisement appeared in 1886 in an issue of the Atlanta Journal, describing the drink as "Delicious! Refreshing! Exhilarating! Invigorating!"

Coca-Cola's advertising has greatly influenced American culture. It is often credited with shaping the modern image of Santa Claus as an old man in a red-and-white suit. Although Coca-Cola began using this image in the 1930s with winter ads illustrated by Haddon Sundblom, the idea of Santa in red and white was already popular. Coca-Cola wasn’t the first soft drink company to use this image; White Rock Beverages used Santa in ads for its ginger ale in 1923.

Before focusing on Santa, Coca-Cola used images of stylish young women to promote its drinks. The first such ad appeared in 1895, featuring actress Hilda Clark.

In 1941, Coca-Cola started using the nickname “Coke” officially. In 1971, a Coca-Cola commercial song called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" became very popular. During the 1950s, a rivalry called the “cola wars” began between Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Coca-Cola’s ads are found everywhere. One goal was to make Coca-Cola everyone’s favorite drink, especially in places like Atlanta where Coke started.

Some Coca-Cola TV commercials from 1960 to 1986 were created by Don Naylor, a former radio veteran. These ads often featured famous movie stars, sports heroes, and singers.

In the 1980s, Pepsi ran ads showing taste tests where people said they preferred Pepsi over Coke. Coca-Cola responded with ads comparing the Pepsi challenge to two chimpanzees choosing which tennis ball was furrier. After this, Coca-Cola regained its market lead.

Selena was a spokesperson for Coca-Cola from 1989 until her passing. She made three commercials for the company. In 1994, Coca-Cola made special Selena-themed bottles to celebrate her five years with the company.

Coca-Cola bought Columbia Pictures in 1982 and added Coke products to many of its movies. However, Columbia did not do well, and Coca-Cola sold it to Sony in 1989.

Coca-Cola has used many famous slogans over the years, like “It’s the real thing,” “The pause that refreshes,” “I’d like to buy the world a Coke,” and “Coke is it.”

In 1999, Coca-Cola introduced the Coke Card, which let people earn deals on clothes, entertainment, and food by buying Coca-Cola. The program ended after three years.

In 2006, Coca-Cola started My Coke Rewards, where people could enter codes from Coca-Cola products to earn points for prizes.

In 2011 in Australia, Coca-Cola began a campaign called “share a Coke,” where bottles had popular first names instead of the Coca-Cola logo. This campaign later spread to the UK in 2013.

Coca-Cola has also advertised its product as a morning drink, instead of just coffee or tea.

5 cents

Main article: Fixed price of Coca-Cola from 1886 to 1959

From 1886 to 1959, Coca-Cola was sold for five cents, partly because of an advertising campaign.

Holiday campaigns

Throughout the years, Coca-Cola has made special holiday bottles for Christmas.

In 1995, Coca-Cola debuted the “Holidays are coming!” ad, showing red delivery trucks with Coca-Cola logos and Christmas lights driving through snowy landscapes. This ad was used until 2001 but brought back in 2007 after many people asked for it. It has been part of Coca-Cola’s global ads ever since.

In 2001, singer Melanie Thornton recorded the jingle “Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)” for the campaign, which became a hit in Germany. In 2005, Coca-Cola started using the jingle on radio too.

In 2011, Coca-Cola made a campaign for Diwali in India, including commercials, a song, and a tie-in with a movie starring Shah Rukh Khan.

In November 2024, Coca-Cola released three short AI-made Christmas ads reviving the 1995 “Holidays are Coming” style. The ads drew some criticism on social media but Coca-Cola defended them, saying they mix human creativity with technology. The next year, in November 2025, Coca-Cola released another AI ad, saying this one was different from the previous year’s.

Sports sponsorship

Coca-Cola was the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic Games, starting with the 1928 games in Amsterdam. Coca-Cola has sponsored the Olympics ever since, including the 1996 games in Atlanta. Coca-Cola also made special ads for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Coca-Cola has sponsored the FIFA World Cup and other FIFA events. One tournament trophy was called the “FIFA–Coca-Cola Cup.” Coca-Cola also sponsors NASCAR events like the Coca-Cola 600 and the Coke Zero Sugar 400, as well as the NASCAR Cup Series.

Coca-Cola supports many sports teams and leagues, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. Coca-Cola has a long partnership with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and helped open the Coca-Cola Great Hall at Heinz Field.

Coca-Cola is the official soft drink for many college football teams, often upgrading their facilities in exchange for sponsorship. This is especially common at high schools, which often depend on such deals.

Coca-Cola was a sponsor of the 1996 Cricket World Cup in the Indian subcontinent. It also sponsors the Delhi Capitals team in the Indian Premier League.

In England, Coca-Cola was the main sponsor of The Football League from 2004 to 2010. It ran competitions like “Win a Player” and later “Buy a Player,” allowing fans to win money for their favorite clubs. Between 1992 and 1998, Coca-Cola was the title sponsor of the Football League Cup. Starting in the 2019–20 season, Coca-Cola became a major sponsor of Premier League soccer in several markets.

Between 1994 and 1997, Coca-Cola was the title sponsor of the Scottish League Cup. From 1998 to 2001, it sponsored the Irish League Cup in Northern Ireland.

Coca-Cola is the presenting sponsor of the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour, held each year at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.

In Canada, Coca-Cola sold special gold-colored cans to celebrate the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Coca-Cola has been a partner with UEFA since 1988.

In mass media

Coca-Cola has appeared in many films and TV shows. It played a big role in movies like One, Two, Three, The Coca-Cola Kid, and The Gods Must Be Crazy.

In music, the Beatles mentioned Coca-Cola in their song “Come Together”, and the Beach Boys referenced it in “All Summer Long”. Elvis Presley promoted Coca-Cola during his last tour in 1977, and the company used his song “A Little Less Conversation” in a Japanese commercial.

Other artists who have promoted Coca-Cola include David Bowie, George Michael, Elton John, and Whitney Houston.

However, not all references were positive. The Kinks originally wrote a song mentioning Coca-Cola, but changed it after the BBC refused to play it because of the commercial reference.

Use as political and corporate symbol

Coca-Cola is often seen as a symbol of the United States. After World War II, a special version called White Coke was made for Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov. The bottles were disguised to look like vodka bottles to avoid suspicion.

Coca-Cola was introduced to China in 1927 and was very popular until 1949. After the Chinese Civil War, it was no longer imported into China because it was seen as a symbol of Western culture. Sales resumed in 1979 after diplomatic relations between the United States and China improved.

In some Arab countries, there have been boycotts of Coca-Cola due to its early presence in Israel. Alternatives like Mecca-Cola and Pepsi are popular there.

Coca-Cola was also tested for use in space. A special dispenser was developed for the Space Shuttle to see if carbonated drinks could be made from stored ingredients. It was used on flights in 1995 and 1996.

The drink is sometimes used to represent the Coca-Cola Company.

Medicinal application

Coca-Cola can sometimes help treat a condition called gastric phytobezoars. In studies, Coca-Cola worked well for about half of the cases. However, there is a small chance this treatment might cause problems in the intestines that could need surgery to fix.

Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has faced many criticisms over the years. People have raised concerns about its health effects, how it affects the environment, and its business practices. For example, some worry that Coca-Cola contains ingredients that might not be good for health. There have also been discussions about how the company treats different groups of people and its impact on the planet.

Some critics say that Coca-Cola’s drinks contain a lot of sugar, which can be bad for teeth and may lead to weight problems. The company has also been criticized for creating a lot of plastic waste. In fact, in one big cleanup, Coca-Cola was found to be the top brand contributing to plastic pollution. The company has said it wants to use more reusable packaging in the future.

Other uses

Coca-Cola can help clean grease and oil stains from concrete, metal, and clothes. It can also be used to slow down the drying time of concrete.