Write your own caption - Happy Halloween!

For this week's Friday Fun caption contest, I thought we could celebrate Halloween and Coca-Cola -- and let your imaginations go!

This 1954 U.S. poster shows a group coming to Trick-or-Treat, dressed in costumes including a clown, a devil and a witch. Also keeping with the Halloween theme, the Jack-o-Lantern is wearing a witch's hat!

The game: Write your best caption related to this Halloween image, the costumes, the Trick-or-Treaters or any aspect of Coca-Cola and Halloween. I've mentioned that I will be away after today, but the contest continues!

The prize: My Archives team will pick its favorite Halloween and Coke caption and announce the winner next Thursday, Nov. 6. The winner will receive a Coca-Cola prize from our "goodie closet."

I'm sorry I'm going to miss this contest, but can't wait to see the winning caption when I return. (And Friday Fun will continue next Friday as well, and of course we'll have more once I'm back.)

See the winning caption.

We have a winner - Coke costume party

Though it was a difficult choice, I've picked a winner for last week's Friday Fun contest. I asked you to give me your most creative captions for this Coca-Cola costume party image. You delivered!

Here are the captions you submitted:

• When you serve Coke, your party will be the hottest ticket in town.
• "Let them drink Coke"
• A party for those of all ages, loved by all!
• Coca-Cola party conversation:
  - "If you're Einstein, then I'm Santa."
  - "That doesn't take a genius to work out."
  - "Remember the time we went for a ride with the Elves and saw Winston camping with Sigmund's alter ego's?"
  - "Those were the days! Hey - after all these Light years, let's try a Coca-Cola Zero."
• Elementary, Dear Watson -- Coke is it!
• Did Freud just say, 'Sometimes a Coke is only a Coke?'
• And everyone had to use cups since Frankenstein was blocking the vending machine.
• And when I woke up, I was at this quaint Vermont inn and you were wearing a beautiful mohair sweater.
• It was one heck of a costume party. Even the turkey was dressed.
• So Marie, do you think anyone here was born after Coke was invented?
• COKE! Great minds think alike!
• Diverse tastes enjoy Coke
• Henry the 8th with 8 cokes. Out did Mean Joe Green.
• Party gossip:
  Einstein: "Ok, here's my theory. As far as I'm concerned, it's all relative.”
  Sherlock: "Hey Sigmund! Check out the babe. I think she's wearing one of your Freudian slips!"
  Santa: "Ho, Ho, Holmes? Is that you? Take your hat off while eating!"
  Sigmund: "Hey you! Green giant guy. Frank! Do you want to drink your Coke from a Stein? Get it? Frank-Stein? Oh never mind."
  Cow: "Anyone wanna have a cow?"
• Break time at the Wax Museum.
• Save the Coke cans for me, I use them for hair curlers!

The winner is "Did Freud just say, 'Sometimes a Coke is only a Coke?'," sent in by souledout. Congratulations! I'll send you a Coca-Cola prize from my "goodie closet."

I hope you'll all check back tomorrow for the next Friday Fun caption contest!

I’ll be away from the blog for a bit

Hi everyone. I will be away from the office for a few days and will not be blogging, but I have made arrangements for new content to appear on a regular basis.

While I’m gone, a member of my team, Helen Nash, will answer your questions and comments. And I’m leaving a number of posts that she’ll add to the blog while I’m away.

I hope you’ll continue to check the blog frequently. In upcoming posts, we will have a new recipe, some stories relating to Veterans’ Day, reflections on a random holiday or two, and, of course, our Friday Fun contest.

Talk to you live in just a little bit!

Have a Coke and an election?

With the U.S. presidential election nearing, I’ve been thinking about Coke’s relationship with politics. I’ve mentioned some of the presidents who liked to drink Coke.

While we love that leaders drink Coke and our other products, we have other ties to politics. First, if you remember “new Coke,” when we introduced a new taste for Coca-Cola in 1985, you may also remember ads featuring a computer-generated character named Max Headroom.

In 1988, when Headroom helped us advertise Coca-Cola (what people called “new Coke”), he ran for president. Ads had the “candidate” saying, “This election is in the can.”

Aside from our ads, there also is a special area of Coca-Cola collecting related to political pieces. I know a lot of collectors who have a political-themed Coke set of stuffed animals (an elephant and a donkey) and many who have – or covet – commemorative bottles from the different political conventions or events.

There is a even a special Coca-Cola bottle honoring the May 11, 2002, grand opening of Plains (Georgia) Inn & Antiques, featuring former President Jimmy Carter’s photo.

I’ve just learned of a great collectible on display at the Gerald Ford Presidential Library. The intern who worked with us this summer, Angelique Richardson, toured the library and took these photos for me.

The Coke cooler from the 1952 Republican Convention, seen among the political hats and pins, is a really neat item and very rare. Though I doubt the Library plans to sell it, the cooler would probably bring at least $1,000 at auction.

Do you have a favorite Coke campaign piece?

Coke's Pause for Living books

In October 1954, Coke began producing the "Pause for Living" booklets. Do you remember these?

The books covered flower arranging and what we called "gracious living." The booklets were targeted to garden clubs, sororities, Junior Leagues, church groups, PTA groups, women's clubs, beauty salons, and dentist offices -- letting us reach women with a reminder that Coca-Cola was perfectly suited for entertaining at home.

Pause for Living continued production through 1969. Circulation began at 300,000 copies in 1954 and rose to well over a half million by the mid-1960s.

Was that a Coca-Cola on CSI?

Have you had a "Coke sighting" on your favorite TV show? Have you been watching a show when you see a character drink from a can of Fanta, walk by a Coca-Cola machine or open a diet Coke?

If so, I'd love your help!

We've posted a list of recent TV shows that featured Coke on the Coca-Cola website. Still, I know we haven't captured all of the "Coke sightings" on this list.

Please leave me a comment and let me know of a time when you've seen Coke, Sprite, Minute Maid, Dasani or another of our brands on TV.

Here are just a few of the shows our drinks have turned up on:

• American Idol
• Boston Legal
• CSI
• CSI New York
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Desperate Housewives
• Entourage
• Law & Order
• Law and Order Criminal Intent
• Mad Men
• Project Runway
• The Sopranos
• Two and a Half Men
• Weeds
• Without a Trace

If you know of others, please leave me a comment with the show's name and which brand you saw.

Now, there are times – particularly in reality TV – when the label of a Coke can might be taped over or blurred. (That happens sometimes when they cook with Coca-Cola on one of my favorite shows, "Iron Chef America.") Those sightings don't count! It has to be an actual appearance!

Write your own caption - Coke costume party

Halloween is next week, and I thought this 1986 party invitation from Canada could give you some costume ideas.

If it gives you caption ideas, I hope you’ll play this week's Friday Fun caption contest!

The game: Write your best funny or clever caption for this imaginary party with guests including Albert Einstein in a Coke T-shirt, Sigmund Freud, Santa Claus, Sherlock Holmes, a cow and Frankenstein! Submit a caption using the comments section on this post.

The prize: I'll pick my favorite caption and announce the winner next Thursday (on October 30). The person who sends me the best caption will win a Coca-Cola prize from our "goodie closet."

I really can't wait to see the captions you write for this one!

See the winning caption.

We have a winner - Yippee for Coke!

For last week’s Friday Fun caption contest, I asked you to write a funny caption for this “Yippee” 1950s store display piece.

I received some great captions:

• All American ridding on more coca cola yippee.
• More than a super-hotdog it seems like a Mexican Mariachi Hat!!
• Hey, boy! slow down your horses and take a Coke break!
• Howdy pardner! Coca-Cola kid here! Just wrasslin' up this doggie to make Ray a weiner, I mean winner!
• After roping this here "doggie", I'm going to "mustard" up the courage to ride this here Coke bottle and "ketchup" with the hamburger.
• Looks like little Billy had too many Cokes and hot dogs at the rodeo if this is what he's dreaming about!
• "giddy up coke" time to take doggie home for lunch
• Hotdogs and Coke -- American for a rootin-tootin great weekend!
• Cool Cat + Hot Dog = Wild Ride on the Horse Side of Coca-Cola.  PS: Why would you want to drink champagne, eat caviar & play golf, if you can have a Coke, a hot dog & enjoy the rodeo adrenaline rush?!?
• The new 'Cokeboys' of the west chasing hotdogs for a change
• Yee-Haw I just love this new ride at The World of Coca-Cola. If you stay on for 8 seconds your reward is an Ice Cold Bottle of Coca-Cola.
• Yippee! What more could anyone want - a Hot Dog and an Ice-Cold Coca-Cola!
• To eat this Giant Hot Dog, I will need 2 Ice Cold Bottles of Coca-Cola!
• I sure earned a nice bottle of coke after catching myself a nice dog for dinner!
• Nothing beats this catch, than washing it down with an ice cold coca cola. That's why I never ride without it!

The winner is "After roping this here "doggie", I'm going to "mustard" up the courage to ride this here Coke bottle and "ketchup" with the hamburger" sent in by cokenut. Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who took time to play.

cokenut will receive a Coca-Cola item from my “goodie closet.”

I hope you’ll check back tomorrow for a new Friday Fun caption contest. (Hint: It’s costume related!)

Coke, baseball and the World Series

Game 1 of the World Series is tonight, and I’m excited to see the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Of course, I can’t believe my favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, just missed making it to the Series. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you may know I’m a huge Red Sox fan, having grown up in Massachusetts. I even highlighted a special Red Sox World Series ring in a display at the World of Coca-Cola.

Red Sox loss aside, Coca-Cola and baseball grew up together. Rumor has it that the early founders of our bottling business were inspired to put Coke in bottles so they could bring it to baseball games!

Starting in 1903, we introduced ads featuring famous Major League players drinking Coca-Cola. It was one of the earliest uses of celebrity endorsements in American advertising history.

Over the years, a unique “all star” team for Coca-Cola has emerged. Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Ty Cobb, Home Run Baker, Willie Mays and John McGraw are just a few of the players who appeared in our ads over the years.

Though I’m not taking sides, in honor of the Phillies, I thought I’d mention a few early ads that featured Philadelphia players.

One of the earliest endorsements came from Napoleon Lajoie, a four-time batting champion with Philadelphia and Cleveland. In a 1905 ad in a Philadelphia newspaper, Lajoie said, “I drink Coca-Cola regularly and have been doing so for several years. It is the most refreshing beverage an athlete can drink.”

We also had a 1916 ad praising Grover Cleveland Alexander of the Philadelphia Nationals and his stamina for pitching 49 full games. As the ad said, “Of course he drinks Coca-Cola.”

So good luck to both teams tonight, and I’ll wait to see the Red Sox play next year!

Edgar Bergen, Mickey Mouse and Coke

October has quite a few anniversaries at Coca-Cola, and I thought you might be interested in two of my favorite entertainment-related ones.

In October 1949, the Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy radio program for Coca-Cola had its debut. You might know Edgar Bergen from his role as father of actress Candice Bergen. But if you're not familiar with Bergen & McCarthy, Edgar Bergen was a radio, TV and movie star who most often appeared with his sidekick Charlie McCarthy (a puppet). I'm always surprised a ventriloquist act was popular on the radio, when no one could see the puppet "talk" or see Bergen's lips!

This wasn't the first radio show Coke sponsored (that had been decades before), but Bergen & McCarthy hold a special connection with us. In November 1950, the first television commercial for Coca-Cola aired during a special that featured the duo.

Just a month later, on Christmas Day, 1950, The Coca-Cola Company sponsored Disney's first appearance on television with a special called "One Hour in Wonderland."

A few years later, Coca-Cola began sponsoring The Mickey Mouse Club on TV. That was in October 1955 -- a sponsorship that continued until October 1957.

Do you have a favorite Coca-Cola-sponsored TV or radio show?