Pin trading and the Coke Polar Bear

Our Coca-Cola Polar Bear turns 15 this year. (You can look for more about that birthday later in the year!)

Because the bear was "born" in 1993, the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway, marked the Polar Bear's first appearance at an Olympics. At the Games, the Polar Bear became one of the world's most popular sports "competitors." In fact, the bear even appeared in some commercials ski jumping and racing on the luge (winter sports, of course!).

Coke created a quite a sensation there by introducing the "Pin of the Day." People lined up an hour before the Pin Trading Center opened just to get them. Limited to 1,000 daily -- and you literally bought one pin each day -- the set of 16 pins featured designs including the Polar Bear, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Valentine's Day, trolls and Vikings.

At the Lillehammer Games, more than 10 million pins were sold in Norway itself -- an average of 2.5 pins for each of Norway's citizens! More than 600,000 pins were traded at the Coca-Cola Olympic Pin Trading Center.

You can read more about Coke, our history with the Olympics and what’s going on in Beijing on our website.