The Coca-Cola bottle is more than just a container for a soft drink; it's a design classic, a symbol of American culture, and a canvas for artistic expression. Its iconic contour fluted lines are instantly recognizable worldwide, celebrated in art, music, and advertising. This article explores the fascinating history of the Coca-Cola bottle, from its origins in combating imitation to its status as a pop art icon.
The Birth of a Brand: Bottling Coca-Cola
In 1899, two Chattanooga lawyers, Joseph Whitehead and Benjamin Thomas, secured the rights to bottle Coca-Cola, which had quickly grown from a popular soda fountain drink in 1886 to a nationwide phenomenon by 1900. By 1920, over 1,200 Coca-Cola bottling operations were established. The early bottles were simple, straight-sided, and typically brown or clear. The Coca-Cola Company mandated that bottlers emboss the famous Coca-Cola logo onto each bottle.
Combating Imitation: The Need for a Distinctive Package
However, the popularity of Coca-Cola led to the rise of imitators like Koka-Nola, Ma Coca-Co, Toka-Cola, and Koke, whose similar logos confused consumers. As a result, in 1906, The Coca-Cola Company introduced a diamond-shaped label with a colorful trademark to help the bottlers stand out from the infringers. Unfortunately, the labels often peeled off because Coca-Cola was sold out of barrels of ice-cold water.
In 1912, The Coca-Cola Bottling Company proposed that its members develop a "distinctive package" to protect their business. They collaborated with Harold Hirsch, the lead attorney for The Coca-Cola Company, to create a special bottle. The goal was to establish a bottle that the company could adopt and call their own, ensuring the protection of their rights. The Trustees of the Coca-Cola Bottling Association voted on April 26, 1915, to allocate up to $500 for developing a unique bottle for Coca-Cola.
The Contour Bottle is Born: Inspiration from a Cocoa Bean
The Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana, took on the challenge. The Root team, including C.J. and William Root, Alexander Samuelson, Earl Dean, and Clyde Edwards, began working on their design. Samuelsson, a Swedish immigrant and shop foreman, sent Dean and Edwards to the local library to research design possibilities. The team found inspiration in an illustration of a cocoa bean, which had an elongated shape and distinct ribs.
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The Root Glass Company filed a patent registration under Samuelsson’s name, which was granted on November 16, 1915. This date was later incorporated into the lettering on the final design of the bottle. Interestingly, the patent submission did not include the signature embossed Coca-Cola script lettering. A committee of bottlers and Company officials met in early 1916 to select the bottle design. The contract stipulated that the bottles be colored with “German Green,” later renamed “Georgia Green” in honor of The Coca-Cola Company's home state. It also required the city placing the glass order to be embossed on the bottom of the bottle. These city names became a source of entertainment for consumers for many years.
Overcoming Resistance: Convincing Bottlers and Consumers
Even though the bottle went into production in early 1916, not all bottlers immediately switched over. The glass bottles represented the most significant expense for many bottlers, and they needed to be persuaded to make the change. The company began national advertising featuring the exclusive bottle to encourage the transition.
The patent for the bottle was renewed in 1923. Because the patent office issued the patent on a Tuesday, and that Tuesday happened to fall on December 25, 1923, the date on the side of the bottle was changed to December 25th, 1923. The bottle was quickly nicknamed the "Christmas Bottle.”
Trademark Status and Enduring Nicknames
Patents expire after 14 years. By 1951, all patents on the shape had expired (the bottle patent was renewed again in 1937). The company sought Trademark status from the Patent Office, arguing that the bottle's "distinctively shaped contour" was so well-known.
Over the years, the Coke bottle has acquired several nicknames. One interesting nickname is the "hobbleskirt" bottle, inspired by the hobbleskirt fashion trend of the 1910s, where the skirt was so narrow below the knees that it "hobbled" the wearer. The bottle was also called the "Mae West" bottle, after the actress's famous curvaceous figure. The first reference to the bottle as a "contour" appeared in a 1925 French Magazine, La Monde, which described the Coca-Cola bottle with a distinctive contour shape.
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Evolution and Adaptation: The Bottle in the 20th and 21st Centuries
The Coca-Cola bottle's shape has evolved over time. The original 1915 patent depicted a slightly fatter shape than the bottle that went into production, and today's aluminum bottle is a 22nd-century update of the classic design. When King and Family sized packaging were introduced in 1955, Raymond Loewy helped recast the bottle while maintaining its proportions.
The Coke Bottle as Art: From Dali to Warhol
While Andy Warhol is best known for using the Coke bottle in art, Salvadore Dali was the first popular artist to incorporate the bottle in a painting in his 1943 work, Poetry in America. Later artists like Sir Eduardo Paolozzi also used the form in the late 1940s. Robert Rauchenberg included Coca-Cola Bottles in his 1957 sculpture, A Coca-Cola Plan. However, Warhol’s use of the bottle in his 1962 show, The Grocery Store, cemented the “pop art” movement and enshrined the bottle as a favorite or succeeding generations of artist. Warhol famously said: “What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the president drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good."
Expanding the Brand: Diet Coke and Beyond
The Coca-Cola Company continued to innovate and expand its product line, including the introduction of Diet Coke, new flavors, and variations in packaging. The brand is credited with helping shape the image of Santa Claus that is commonly used today. This wholesome version of Santa was the first time Santa was truly depicted as "jolly." The artwork was done by illustrator Haddon Sundblom, whose original oil paintings of this version of Santa were used by Coca-Cola in ads all over the country. Coca-Cola introduced the new formula with marketing pushes in New York City, where workers renovating the Statue of Liberty for its centenary in 1986 were given free cans and Washington, D.C., where thousands of cans were given away in Lafayette Park.
Diet Coke, introduced in 1982, was an entirely different recipe than classic Coke. According to the Coca-Cola Company, within two years Diet Coke had "displaced 7UP as the No. 1 diet soft drink." While they both report no calories or sugar, Diet Coke has always tried to be its own beverage. In 2014, Coca-Cola introduced Coca-Cola Life, the first new Coke since 2006.
The "New Coke" Debacle: A Lesson in Brand Loyalty
In 1985, Coca-Cola reformulated its flagship beverage, resulting in one of the most famous corporate disasters in history. Blind taste tests suggested that consumers preferred the sweeter taste of Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola's main competitor, so the Coca-Cola recipe was reformulated.
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"New Coke" was introduced nationwide on April 23, 1985. The press conference at New York City's Lincoln Center to introduce the new formula did not go well. Goizueta, Coca-Cola's CEO, described the new flavor as "bolder", "rounder", and "more harmonious."
Many critics were from the southern US states, some of whom considered Coca-Cola part of their regional identity. The company received over 40,000 calls and letters expressing anger or disappointment. Gay Mullins, a Seattle retiree, formed the Old Cola Drinkers of America on May 28 to lobby Coca-Cola to either reintroduce the old formula or sell it to someone else.
On July 11, 1985, Coca-Cola executives held a press conference and announced the return of the original Coca-Cola formula, 79 days after New Coke's introduction. The new product continued to be marketed and sold as "Coke" (until 1990, when it was renamed "Coke II") while the original formula was named "Coca-Cola Classic", and for a short time it was referred to by the public as Old Coke. The Coca-Cola Company spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out where it had made a mistake, ultimately concluding that it had underestimated the public reaction of the portion of the customer base that would be alienated by the switch.
Marketing Evolution: From Max Headroom to "Share a Coke"
The Coca-Cola Company has consistently innovated its marketing strategies to connect with consumers.
At the beginning of 1986, Coke's marketing team found a strategy by returning to one of their original motives for changing the formula: the youth market that preferred Pepsi. Max Headroom, the purportedly computer-generated media personality played by Matt Frewer, was chosen to replace Cosby as the spokesman for Coke's new "Catch the wave" campaign. The campaign was a huge success.
In 2016, they added popular song lyrics to bottles, calling it "Share a Coke and a Song”. Coca-Cola Freestyle changed the game.