Coca-Cola facts for kids
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Coca-Cola has retained many of its historical design features in modern glass bottles.
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| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Region of origin | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Introduced | May 8, 1886 |
| Color | Caramel E-150d |
| Variants |
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| Related products | Pepsi RC Cola Afri-Cola Postobón Inca Kola Kola Real Cavan Cola Est Cola |
Coca-Cola, often called Coke, is a fizzy soft drink with a special cola flavor. It is made by The Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries worldwide. People drank more than 1.8 billion servings of Coca-Cola drinks every day.
Coca-Cola was first sold in the late 1800s by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. It was originally meant to be a health tonic. The name "Coca-Cola" comes from two of its first ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts. Kola nuts are a natural source of caffeine.
The exact recipe for Coca-Cola is a trade secret. Only a few people know the full formula. This secrecy has even been used in Coca-Cola's advertising. The drink has inspired many other cola drinks around the world.
The Coca-Cola Company makes a special syrup called concentrate. This concentrate is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers all over the world. These bottlers add filtered water and sweeteners to the concentrate. They then put the finished drink into cans and bottles.
A typical 12-ounce (355 ml) can of Coca-Cola has about 39 grams of sugar. In North America, this sugar usually comes from high-fructose corn syrup. The bottlers then sell and deliver Coca-Cola to stores, restaurants, and vending machines.
Over the years, The Coca-Cola Company has made other cola drinks under the Coke name. Some popular ones include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Cherry, and Coca-Cola Vanilla. From 1985 to 2009, Coca-Cola was called Coca-Cola Classic. This was to tell it apart from a new version called "New Coke".
Contents
The Story of Coca-Cola
How Coca-Cola Started (1800s)
John Pemberton was a soldier who also had a medical degree. In 1885, he created a nerve tonic called Pemberton's French Wine Coca. This tonic was similar to a popular French drink but also included the African kola nut.
In 1886, a law was passed in Atlanta, Georgia, that stopped the sale of alcohol. So, Pemberton created a non-alcoholic version of his tonic. This new drink was Coca-Cola. It was advertised as a "temperance drink," meaning it was alcohol-free.
The first Coca-Cola was sold at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886. It cost five cents a glass. At the time, soda fountains in drugstores were popular. Many people believed that carbonated water was good for their health. Pemberton advertised Coca-Cola as a patent medicine, claiming it could cure headaches and other problems.
By 1888, different versions of Coca-Cola were being sold by different businesses. John Pemberton eventually sold his ownership rights to a businessman named Asa Griggs Candler. Candler's smart marketing ideas helped Coca-Cola become a huge success around the world.
Growing the Company
After John Pemberton passed away in 1888, Asa Candler worked to get full control of Coca-Cola. He bought the rights to the name "Coca-Cola" from Pemberton's son. By 1889, Candler owned the entire Coca-Cola business.
In 1892, Candler officially started the Coca-Cola Company, which is the company we know today. In 1919, a group of investors bought the Coca-Cola Co. for $25 million. Later, in 1923, Robert W. Woodruff became the company's president. He helped Coca-Cola grow and become known all over the world.
For many years, the company wanted people to use its full name, "Coca-Cola." They worried that "Coke" might become a common word for any soft drink. But eventually, in 1941, Coca-Cola officially accepted "Coke" as a nickname. "Coke" became a registered trademark in 1945.
How Bottling Began
The first Coca-Cola was bottled in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1894. This was done by Joseph A. Biedenharn at his candy company. The first bottles were very different from the famous shape we know today.
A few years later, two businessmen from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead, had an idea. They convinced Asa Candler to let them bottle Coca-Cola for just one dollar. Candler later realized this was a big mistake.
The contract they signed was very loose. It said bottles would be sold for five cents each and had no end date. This caused problems for the Coca-Cola Company for many years. Chattanooga became the home of the first Coca-Cola bottling company in 1899.
Coca-Cola in the 1900s
The first outdoor wall advertisement for Coca-Cola was painted in 1894 in Cartersville, Georgia. By its 50th anniversary, Coca-Cola was a national symbol in the US. In 1935, it was certified as kosher by a rabbi. This meant Jewish people could drink it, even during Passover.
On July 12, 1944, the one-billionth gallon of Coca-Cola syrup was made. Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955.
Sugar Changes and New Coke
In the 1970s, sugar prices went up. Because of this, Coca-Cola started using high-fructose corn syrup in 1974.
On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola tried to change its famous recipe with "New Coke." Many people preferred the taste of New Coke in tests. However, people felt a strong connection to the old drink. This led to a big backlash from the public.
The company listened to the protests. On July 10, 1985, they brought back the old recipe. They called it Coca-Cola Classic. "New Coke" stayed available for a while and was renamed Coke II in 1992. It was stopped completely in 2002.
Coca-Cola in the 2000s
In 2005, Coca-Cola started selling its products in Iraq again. They had not been there since 1968. In 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing "Classic" on its labels. This was part of a plan to make the product look fresh again. By 2011, the word "Classic" was removed from all Coca-Cola products.
In 2012, Coca-Cola returned to Myanmar after 60 years. They plan to invest a lot of money there. Coca-Cola also plans to invest $5 billion in its operations in India by 2020.
In 2021, Coca-Cola announced a plan to fight plastic waste. They started selling sodas in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic in the United States. By 2030, they aim to recycle one bottle or can for every one they sell.
How Coca-Cola is Made
What's in Coca-Cola?
The main ingredients in Coca-Cola are:
- Carbonated water (bubbly water)
- Sugar (either sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup, depending on the country)
- Caffeine
- Phosphoric acid
- Caramel color (for its brown color)
- Natural flavorings
A typical 12-ounce (355 ml) can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories. In 2014, Coca-Cola announced it was working to remove an ingredient called brominated vegetable oil from its drinks.
The Secret Formula
The exact recipe for Coca-Cola's natural flavorings is a trade secret. The original copy of the formula was kept in a bank vault in Atlanta for 86 years. In 2011, it was moved to a new vault at the World of Coca-Cola museum in downtown Atlanta. Visitors can see the vault where the secret formula is kept.
There's a popular story that only two executives know the formula, and each knows only half. However, many sources say that while Coca-Cola does limit access to two executives, each knows the entire formula. Others have also known parts of the process.
In 2011, a radio show called This American Life said they found a recipe that might be John Pemberton's original formula. A Coca-Cola expert said it "could be a precursor" to the original 1886 formula. However, it is not the same as the formula used today.
Caffeine and Kola Nuts
When Coca-Cola first came out, its main ingredient for energy was caffeine. The caffeine came from the kola nut. This is why the drink is called Coca-Cola. The kola nut also adds to the flavor.
In 1911, the US government tried to make Coca-Cola remove caffeine from its drink. The case went to court, but Coca-Cola won. However, the government later changed a law to require caffeine to be listed on labels. Coca-Cola then voluntarily reduced the amount of caffeine in its product.
Today, Coca-Cola contains about 34 mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces.
How Bottlers Make the Drink
Coca-Cola uses a special system called franchising. The Coca-Cola Company only makes the syrup concentrate. It sells this concentrate to bottlers around the world. These bottlers have special agreements to sell Coca-Cola in certain areas.
The bottlers then make the final drink. They mix the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners. Then, they put the mixture into cans and bottles and add the fizz (carbonation). After that, the bottlers sell and deliver the drinks to stores, vending machines, and restaurants.
The Coca-Cola Company owns small parts of some of its biggest bottlers. But almost half of the Coca-Cola sold worldwide is made by independent bottlers. These independent bottlers can even change the sweetness of the drink to fit local tastes.
Where Coca-Cola is Sold
Coca-Cola has been sold outside the United States since 1900. For example, the Cuba Libre (a mix of Coca-Cola and rum) was created in Havana, Cuba, in 1898. However, Coca-Cola's international reach grew much bigger after World War II. It became a symbol of American influence and globalization.
Since 2012, Coca-Cola has been officially available in almost every country in the world. The only exceptions are Cuba (where it stopped being officially available in 1960) and North Korea. However, it can sometimes be found in these countries through unofficial imports. In 2022, Coca-Cola stopped its operations in Russia because of the conflict in Ukraine.
Coca-Cola has also been part of legal discussions in the Middle East. In Egypt, a religious ruling (called a fatwa) was made. It said that Muslims were allowed to drink Coca-Cola unless the Qur'an specifically said it was forbidden.
When Coca-Cola first came to China in the 1920s, it didn't have a Chinese name. Local shopkeepers made up their own names, but some had strange meanings. In the 1930s, the company chose the name "可口可樂" (Ke-kou ke-le). This phrase means "to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice."
Different Kinds of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has introduced many different versions of its drink around the world. These include caffeine-free options and drinks with added fruit flavors. Here are some of the popular ones:
| Name | Launched | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diet Coke | 1983 | A low-calorie version of Coca-Cola that uses sweeteners instead of sugar. |
| Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola | 1983 | The standard Coca-Cola, but without caffeine. |
| Coca-Cola Cherry | 1985 | Coca-Cola with a cherry flavor. |
| New Coke / Coca-Cola II | 1985 | An unpopular recipe change. The original formula quickly returned. New Coke was later called Coca-Cola II and stopped in 2002. |
| Coca-Cola Vanilla | 2002 | Coca-Cola with a vanilla flavor. |
| Coca-Cola with Lime | 2005 | Coca-Cola with a lime flavor. |
| Coca-Cola with Lemon | 2005 | Coca-Cola with a lemon flavor. |
| Coca-Cola Zero/Coca-Cola Zero Sugar | 2005 | A low-calorie version designed to taste more like regular Coca-Cola. |
| Coca-Cola with Coffee | 2017 | Coca-Cola mixed with coffee. |
| Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla | 2019 | Coca-Cola with a mix of orange and vanilla flavors. |
| Coca-Cola Creations | 2022 | Limited edition flavors of Coca-Cola made to appeal to younger customers, like Coca-Cola Starlight. |
| Jack Daniel's and Coca-Cola | 2022 | A ready-to-drink mix of whiskey and Coca-Cola. |
Design of Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Logo
The Coca-Cola logo was created in 1885 by John Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson. Robinson came up with the name and chose the special cursive writing style. This writing style, called Spencerian script, was very popular for formal handwriting in the mid-1800s.
Robinson also helped with early Coca-Cola advertising. He suggested giving away free drink coupons and putting ads on banners and streetcar signs.
In 1951, the Coca-Cola logo faced some questions in Egypt. A conspiracy theory claimed that if you looked at the logo in a mirror, it spelled out "No Mohammed no Mecca" in Arabic.
The Famous Bottle Shape
The Coca-Cola bottle, known as the "contour bottle," was designed by Earl R. Dean and Coca-Cola's lawyer, Harold Hirsch. In 1915, Coca-Cola held a competition for bottle suppliers. They wanted a new bottle that people could recognize even in the dark or if it was broken.
Earl Dean and his team looked for ideas. They were inspired by a picture of a gourd-shaped cocoa pod in an encyclopedia. Dean drew a rough sketch of the pod and showed it to his boss. He explained how he could turn the pod's shape into a bottle.
The first design had a wider middle, which made it unstable on conveyor belts. Dean fixed this by making the middle slimmer. In 1916, Dean's contour bottle was chosen and started being sold that same year. By 1920, this unique bottle became the standard for Coca-Cola.
Today, the contour Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognized packages in the world.
Bottle Examples
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Earl R. Dean's original 1915 concept drawing of the contour Coca-Cola bottle
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The prototype never made it to production since its middle diameter was larger than its base, making it unstable on conveyor belts.
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Final production version with slimmer middle section
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Numerous historical Coke bottles
Special Designer Bottles
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Famous fashion designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier have created special edition Coca-Cola bottles. In 2009, many well-known Italian designers also created limited edition bottles for Coca-Cola Light.
In 2019, Coca-Cola showed the first beverage bottle made with plastic collected from the ocean.
Coca-Cola's Competitors
Pepsi, made by PepsiCo, is Coca-Cola's main rival in the soft drink world. Pepsi is usually second in sales, but it sells more than Coke in some places. RC Cola is another widely available competitor.
Around the world, many local brands compete with Coke. In Peru, Inca Kola sells more than Coca-Cola. This led The Coca-Cola Company to buy the Inca Kola brand in 1999. In Scotland, a local drink called Irn-Bru was more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005.
In India, Coca-Cola doesn't have the biggest market share. However, The Coca-Cola Company's other brands, like Thums Up and Sprite, do very well. Coca-Cola bought Thums Up in 1993 when it returned to the Indian market.
In Cuba, a local drink called Tropicola is served instead of Coca-Cola. This is because of a trade ban by the United States. In the Middle East, brands like Mecca-Cola and Qibla Cola compete with Coca-Cola.
Advertising Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola's advertising has had a big impact on American culture. Many people think Coca-Cola invented the modern image of Santa Claus as an old man in a red and white suit. While Coca-Cola did start using this image in the 1930s, the look was already common. Before Santa, Coca-Cola used images of stylish young women to sell its drinks.
In 1941, "Coke" became an official trademark. Ads told people that "Coke means Coca-Cola." In 1971, a song from a Coca-Cola commercial, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," became a popular hit song.
During the 1950s, the "cola wars" began. This was the ongoing competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi to be the top soft drink. Both companies launched new products and expanded globally.
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Coca-Cola's advertising is everywhere. One of the company's goals was to make sure everyone on Earth drank Coca-Cola. This is especially true in places like Atlanta, where Coke was born.
Many early Coca-Cola TV commercials featured movie stars, sports heroes, and popular singers. In the 1980s, Pepsi ran ads showing people preferring Pepsi in taste tests. Coca-Cola fought back with its own ads, and eventually regained its lead in the market.
Singers like Selena, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, and Whitney Houston have all promoted Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola has used many different slogans over the years. Some famous ones include "It's the real thing," "The pause that refreshes," and "Coke is it."
In 2011, Coca-Cola started the "Share a Coke" campaign in Australia. They replaced the Coca-Cola logo on bottles with popular first names. This campaign was very successful and was later brought to other countries like the UK.
Holiday Ads
Coca-Cola often releases special collector bottles for Christmas. The "Holidays are coming!" advertisement is very famous. It shows a train of red Coca-Cola trucks decorated with Christmas lights driving through snow. Everything they pass lights up, and people watch them go by.
This advertisement was stopped in 2001 but brought back in 2007. Many people called the company saying they felt the ad marked the start of Christmas.
Sponsoring Sports
Coca-Cola was the first company to sponsor the Olympic Games. They started at the 1928 games in Amsterdam and have been an Olympics sponsor ever since. This included the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Coca-Cola's hometown.
Since 1978, Coca-Cola has also sponsored the FIFA World Cup and other soccer competitions. They sponsor NASCAR races like the Coca-Cola 600. Coca-Cola has also had long relationships with major sports leagues like Major League Baseball and the National Football League.
Coca-Cola is the official soft drink for many college football teams. They often provide schools with better sports facilities in exchange for their sponsorship.
Coca-Cola in Movies and Music
Coca-Cola has appeared in many movies and TV shows. It was a big part of films like The Gods Must Be Crazy. In music, the Beatles mentioned Coca-Cola in their song "Come Together". The Beach Boys also sang about spilling Coke in "All Summer Long".
However, not all music references went smoothly. The Kinks' song "Lola" originally said, "You drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola." The BBC wouldn't play the song because of the brand name. So, the singer changed the lyric to "it tastes just like cherry cola."
Coca-Cola as a Symbol
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Coca-Cola is strongly linked to the United States. Some people see it as an "American Brand" or a symbol of America. After World War II, the Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov asked for a special version called White Coke. He didn't want to be seen drinking a symbol of American culture. The bottles were disguised as vodka bottles with a red star on the cap.
Coca-Cola came to China in 1927 and was very popular. But after the Chinese Civil War in 1949, it was no longer imported. It was seen as a symbol of Western culture. Sales started again in 1979 when the US and China restored diplomatic relations.
Some people in Arab countries have boycotted Coca-Cola. This is because Coke invested in Israel early on, during a time when some Arab countries boycotted Israel.
Coca-Cola even went to space! A special dispenser was developed for the Space Shuttle. It allowed astronauts to drink fizzy Coca-Cola in space.
Other Uses for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola can be used to clean grease and oil stains from concrete, metal, and clothes. It can also be used to slow down how fast concrete sets.
See also
In Spanish: Coca-Cola para niños
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Fanta
- List of Coca-Cola brands
- List of soft drink flavors
- Mexican Coke
- Pepsi
