Curious to know some surprising facts about the Coca Cola – Have a look
The soft drink company Coca-Cola has gained recognition worldwide for its original beverage, as well as a number of additional varieties of soft drinks they now offer consumers. Although, the original Coca-Cola is still the leading drink being sold by the company. What many people do not realize while online grocery shopping though about the company is a number of different interesting facts about the company. Here are some of the top Coca-Cola trivia facts many people do not even know.
No Longer the Original
The original Coke was made in 1885 by John Stith Pemberton. It was created using kola nut, coca, and damiana. It was originally called French Wine Coca. It was both an alcoholic drink and also contained cocaine. The beverage was officially launched in 1886, making it more than 125 years old. It was originally five cents per a glass. Even though the prototype was changed some, it continued to have cocaine until 1903 when it was removed from the beverage. Cocaine at the time was still legal for more than a decade afterwards in America. Twenty years later, in 1923, was when Coke was first sold in a six pack which has since become the standard in the beverage industry.
Coke was created for Medicinal Purposes
Initially, Coke was marketed as a health tonic. This comes as no surprise, since the creator was a former colonel in the United States Civil War for the Confederate Army. Because of an injury he sustained, Pemberton sought to find a tonic that relieved his condition without relying on the use of morphine. But that was not the only medicinal purpose Coke was advertised to help address. The damiana also acted as an aphrodisiac. Because of prohibition regulations, Coke had all alcohol removed. The damiana also has properties to help mental health, so Coke was advertised as a cure for depression, headaches, and even depression and you can still get it while online grocery shopping. Another use for Coke has also historically included relieving indigestions.
An Innovator in Advertising
Coca-Cola has been an innovator in advertising from the beginning of its entrance on the beverage market. One of these included offering customers non-beverage merchandise. Some common coke merchandise over the years has included calendars, drink ware, clocks, and even stuffed animals. Coke also used attractive women to advertise early on to gain male customers. Some of the most well known Coke advertising campaigns included the use of artwork by Norman Rockwell and the Santa Claus campaigns launched in the 1930’s. Many of these ad campaigns are reinvented through the years by Coca-Cola, and have also shaped industry trends for advertising in the beverage industry.
Coca-Cola and The Civil Rights Movement
Coke became available to consumers in glass bottles in 1899, making it more available to a wider consumer base. However, before that Coke was only available in soda fountain shops. Some claimed it was race relations that led to the removal of cocaine from the beverage before it was required to be by law. In the 1950’s Coke was still in popular fountain shops, which were commonly segregated. Even so, Coca-Cola opted to feature African Americans in their advertising campaigns along with online grocery shopping. As a result, Coke commonly became a focus of the Civil Rights movement, resulting in sit-in protests being staged at shops under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. Since then, Coke has often been viewed as an agent of change by many in the American Civil Rights movement.