Results: The History of Coca Cola

A drink called Vin Mariani was wildly popular. Cocaine was legal and in high demand. It was a combination of Wine mixed with cocaine powder, from coca leaves. In 1884 Pemberton worked on his own version of this popular drink for medicinal uses. He claimed it could cure; nerve damage, head aches, exhaustion, constipation, wasting disease, depression and many other ailments. To give his recipe an extra kick, he added a well known drug, the kola nut, which is known for its high caffine content. The kola nut is very bitter, so he added lots of sugar, to mask the bitterness. He added citric acid, spices and caramel, which give it's distinctive signature rich brown color. Were you aware that Cocaine was a legal popular product in the late 1800s?

On May 8, 1886, Dr. John Pemberton founded Pemberton Chemical Company and started developing a product to sell to pharmacies and their soda fountains in Atlanta. He brought his perfected syrup to Jacobs' Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta where the first glass of Coca‑Cola was poured, the soda founatin added carbonated water and poured it over ice, it was a big hit. Serving about nine drinks per day in its first year. Coca‑Cola was an exciting new drink. Do you drink.....

Frank Robinson and David Doe, both in the Advertising Business, tried the drink and were convinced it would become a great success, so they invested in the company. They named the drink, based on the recipe, the coca leaf and kola nut. Hence they called it Coca Cola. Their agency promoted the drink. In 1906 the Pure Food & Drug Act required all narcotics be clearly labelled. At that point most of the cocaine was removed, until 1929 when all traces were removed. Pemberton's health began to fail and David Doe left the company. Robinson created the famous logo in his own handwriting. He launched a major advertising blitz with the new logo which was a big success. Do you think Coca Cola's success is due to their highly effective marketing and advertising campaigns over the decades?

As Pemberton's health was failing he sold all of his rights of the product to a Pharmacist, Asa Griggs Candler. Candler suffered from chronic headaches, Robinson recommended he drink Coa Cola for his headaches. He did, after several times of relief he purchased the entire company in 1888 and kept Robinson on board for his advertsising expertise. In the early 20th Century the Temperance Movement was a great boost for Soda Fountains. The Soda Industry supported Temperance and Prohibition, to their own benefit. Do you think Temperance and Prohibition ....

World War II helped Coca Cola dominate the world market. They supplied all American troops world wide with Coca Cola for 5 cents a bottle. The soldiers loved it and everyone world wide witnessed American Troops enjoying a Coke. This made Coca Cola an iconic symbol of America. International appeal and a brilliant marketing strategy has led Coca Cola to be one of the biggest companies and 6th most Valuable Brands in the World with over 200 Products. Were you aware that Coca Cola owns so many product lines?