The Coca-Cola Cans of Summer

There will be a new series of collectible Coke cans in stores this summer here in the US. The limited edition “Coca-Cola Cans of Summer” will hit the shelves just in time for Memorial Day.

For the first time ever, five different designs synonymous with summertime – including a BBQ grill, surfboard, beach ball, sunglasses and stars & stripes – will be featured on Coca-Cola 12 ounce cans. I’m sure collectors will want to look out for these. Although I’m not sure what order the cans will be released in, I’ve heard that a new design will debut every few weeks through Labor Day.

Friday Fun - The Circus Comes to Town

In 1920, there were a series of cartoon illustrations used for magazine advertising that depicted life in small towns.The ad shown here captured the annual arrival of the circus-a big event in any community.

Your challenge is to create a caption for the ad and submit it by 5pm on May 13. We will announce a winner on May 14.

Happy Birthday Coca-Cola!

On May 8th, 1886, 123 years ago today, Coca-Cola was first served in Atlanta, Georgia.  Dr. John Stith Pemberton, a local pharmacist, produced the syrup for Coca-Cola, and carried a jug of the new product down the street to Jacobs' Pharmacy, where it was sampled, pronounced "excellent" and placed on sale for five cents a glass as a soda fountain drink.

Take a quiz to test your Coke knowledge on our birthday

Happy Birthday Coca-Cola!

We Have A Winner-Alaskan Snow Dogs

Listed below are the creative captions we have received this past week on the Alaskan dog sled driver.

http://www.coca-colaconversations.com/my_weblog/2009/05/friday-fun-alaskan-snow-dogs.html#comments

This week's winner is Dunisayno with: "Sorry, but I don't trust you dogs around this Coke. You know what happened last time when I let the bears get near it." A prize from the Archives vault will be sent to our creative contestant.

Please check back tomorrow for a new Friday Fun contest.

Coca-Cola Bottling Through The Years - Part 2

Our presentation on the history of Coca-Cola bottling went really well. If you haven't seen the Clarksburg, West Virginia Coca-Cola Bottling Works footage from 1919, be sure to check it out! Part two, which showcases the Atlanta Coca-Cola bottling plant, is also very entertaining, and a fun glimpse into history as the narrator leads you along the steps of the bottling process. By the 1960s, as the narrator mentions, the process had come a long way from the one- or two-horse fleets that were utilized by many of the early bottling operations.

Mystery Box

We had a mystery box delivered to the Archives recently.  When we opened the box, we were surprised to discover the costumes of the "Fantanas."  Some of you may remember a series of commercials for Fanta from a few years ago that featured a "group" called the Fantanas.  Each Fantana represented a different flavor, Orange, Grape, Strawberry and Pineapple.  The campaign was discontinued in 2006 and the costumes tucked away in a store room until they found their way to us.

I recently saw on the Fanta website that the Fantanas are going to be reunited once again.  This tongue in cheek video gives some of the background.

Meanwhile, enjoy a photograph I took of Orange Fanta's costume.

Coca-Cola Bottling Through The Years - Part 1

Have you ever wondered what the days of early Coca-Cola bottling looked like? I'm planning a special presentation for employees tomorrow about the history of Coca-Cola bottling, dating back to when bottling began in 1899. I thought I'd share with you this video footage from a 1919 Clarksburg, West Virginia Coca-Cola Bottling Plant showing the bottling process used then. You'll undoubtedly have a couple of laughs, and don't attempt to adjust your speakers - this is a silent film!

Be on the lookout for part two of this video which highlights the bottling process as it was in the 1960s.

Alaskan Snow Dogs

For this week's Friday Fun contest, I have chosen an image from 1929 of an Alaskan dog sled driver carrying a case of Coke.

Your challenge is to submit a witty caption for this image before 5pm on May 6. We will announce a winner on Thursday, May 7.