History of Coca‑Cola

History of Coca-Cola: 1905-1918
Safeguarding the brand

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but The Coca-Cola Company was none too pleased about the proliferation of copycat beverages taking advantage of its success. Coca-Cola was a great product, and a great brand. Both needed to be protected. Advertising focused on the authenticity of Coca-Cola, urging consumers to 'Demand the genuine' and 'Accept no substitute'.

The company also decided to create a distinctive bottle shape to assure people they were actually getting a real Coca-Cola. The Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, won a contest to design a bottle that could be recognised in the dark. In 1916, they began manufacturing the famous contour bottle. The contour bottle, which remains the signature shape of Coca-Cola today, was chosen for its attractive appearance, original design and the fact that, even in the dark, you could identify the genuine article.

As the country roared into the new century, The Coca-Cola Company grew rapidly, moving into Canada, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico, France, and other countries and US territories. In 1900, there were two bottlers of Coca-Cola; by 1920, there were about 1,000.

History of Coca-Cola: 1882-1892
History of Coca-Cola: 1893-1904
History of Coca-Cola: 1905-1918
History of Coca-Cola: 1919-1940
History of Coca-Cola: 1941-1959
History of Coca-Cola: 1960-1981
History of Coca-Cola: 1982-1989
History of Coca-Cola: 1990-1999
History of Coca-Cola: 2000-Now