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first bottle
Coca-Cola first bottled under contract in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Coca-Cola President Asa Candler sells the bottling rights for $1. Bottles used at this time are straight-sided Hutchinson bottles with a metal stopper. -
logo
Amber-colored and clear straight-sided bottles with an embossed logo are used by bottlers across the U.S. In 1906, a diamond shaped label is added to make the bottle stand out from competitors. -
trade mark name
The tremendous success and growth of Coca-Cola encourages competitors to try to imitate Coke by offering bottles with slight variations on the trademarked name and distinctive script logo. The now famous Coca-Cola contour bottle is patented in 1915 by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana. The creative brief given to Root called for a bottle that could be recognized when broken on the ground or by touch in the dark. -
home refrigeration
With the expanded availability of home refrigeration, the sixpack bottle carrier is developed by the Coca-Cola system to encourage consumers to enjoy the beverage at home. -
global
Thousands of men and women are sent overseas. The country, and Coca‑Cola, rally behind them. President Robert Woodruff orders that “every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca‑Cola for five cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company.” His vision that Coca‑Cola be placed within “arm’s reach of desire” becomes real—from the mid-1940s until 1960, the number of countries with bottling operations nearly doubles. -
magazine
Coca-Cola becomes the first commercial product to appear on the cover of Time magazine. The appearance solidifies Coca-Cola as an international brand. The magazine originally asks to place long-time Company leader Robert Woodruff’s image on the cover, but he refuses, saying the brand is the important thing and Coca-Cola itself should be featured. -
expanding packaging
Coca-Cola is expands its packaging offering from the standard 6.5-ounce contour bottle to include 10-, 12- and 26-ounce contour bottles in the U.S., marking an important step in giving consumers packaging options to meet their needs. -
pinted label
Coca-Cola contour bottles are printed with a white label featuring both trademarks, Coca-Cola and Coke. Previously the trademark Coca-Cola had been blown in glass lettering on the bottle. -
aluminum cans
12-ounce aluminum Coca-Cola cans are introduced in the U.S. Early can graphics include an image of the Coca-Cola bottle so customers wil recognize it as the same beverage they enjoy from a bottle. -
trade mark
The Coca-Cola bottle is granted registration as a trademark, a designation awarded to few other packages. A previous study showed that less than 1% of Americans could not identifiy a bottle of Coke by shape alone. -
20 ounce
The 20-ounce PET contour bottle is introduced. The bottle helps distinguish Coca-Cola from other beverages, just as the glass contour bottle had in 1915. -
20 ounce
The 20-ounce PET contour bottle is introduced. The bottle helps distinguish Coca-Cola from other beverages, just as the glass contour bottle had in 1915. -
design
Coca-Cola is awarded the first ever Design Grand Prix at the prestigious Cannes Lions for the brand’s refreshed visual identity and packaging of the aluminum bottle. -
plant bottle
Coca-Cola introduces the “plant bottle” —100% recyclable and made with up to 30% renewable, plant-based material. -
navy chair
he 111 Navy Chair debuts at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Through partnership with Emeco, the iconic Navy Chair gets a fresh spin, in a new material. Each chair is made from 111 PET bottles diverted from landfills.
