Coca-Cola

the long version

Unlike other collecting areas that may be somewhat one-dimensional, Coca-Cola collectibles literally span the full range of artifacts manufactured to merchandise and advertise consumer products since the 1880s. Part of the charm of these items for the collector is that their original purpose was to promote the sale of Coca-Cola, not to be collected. - Introduction. For more than a century, Coca-Cola has been an integral part of American life. From its humble beginnings in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia, to its current status as the world's preeminent soft drink, Coca-Cola has been heavily advertised using virtually every trick in the adman's repertoire. Long before today's mass media, the Coca-Cola Company used millions of promotional items to advertise and sell their products to the masses. Unlike other collecting areas that may be somewhat one-dimensional, Coca-Cola collectibles literally span the full range of artifacts manufactured to merchandise and advertise consumer products since the 1880s. In retrospect, the Coca-Cola Company was not a merchandising and advertising genius. They simply merchandised and advertised by all means available, keeping the things that worked and eliminating those that did not. Their wisdom was the foresight to advertise Coca-Cola aggressively, even when profits were small and the market was soft. - Introduction.