For over a century, Coca-Cola has been a cornerstone of refreshment, celebration, and cherished memories. Beyond its role as a global beverage icon, Coca-Cola played an instrumental role in shaping one of the most beloved holiday figures: the modern depiction of Santa Claus. Haddon Sundblom’s Santa Claus The story begins in the early 20th century, […]
The last time we looked at Coca-Cola paraphernalia, we examined the history of retail coolers. That discussion led directly to this month’s topic: Coca-Cola vending machines. Although a few of the later cooler models were coin-operated, they didn’t actually vend anything. Customers would plop in a coin, open the cover and grab a bottle. To […]
From the earliest days of Coca-Cola, brand recognition has been key to the company’s success. In the very first year of Coca-Cola’s existence, in fact, inventor Dr. John C. Pemberton made less in sales than he spent on advertising. These early signs and promotional items, however, insured that the name stuck, leading to future successful […]
On July 4th the third season of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix. For those of you who haven’t yet watched the whole season, don’t worry. Nothing here will spoil your viewing experience. One scene, though, bears special mention here, as it relates to business here at the Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company. In one exchange […]
As our world becomes increasingly more digitized and most, if not all, of our communication takes place via keyboards and screens, the fine skill of cursive handwriting seems doomed to the trash heap. That loss would be a sad one, to be sure, considering how a simple cursive script has helped to shape the world […]
Coca-Cola Slogans From the very beginning, the Coca-Cola Company advertising has been influential. It’s no stretch to say that Coca-Cola advertising has changed the world. Consider just the slogans that have been used since the first one in 1886. How many of these phrases immediately bring to mind a particular place and time for you? […]
Look around the streets and campuses around Rock Hill and you’re likely to notice more Coca-Cola clothing than we’ve seen in a while. It looks like shirts emblazoned with the iconic Coca-Cola script are making a comeback, which has stoked the nostalgia at the Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Remember in the 1980s when everybody […]
This timeline neatly summarizes the events that shaped Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s first 100 years. 1880s January 29, 1878 William Mark Mauldin is born. October 5, 1885 Mayme Williams Mauldin is born. 1886 First Coca-Cola served at Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta. 1888 Asa Candler acquires the rights to Coca-Cola. 1890s 1899 Ben Thomas and […]
Dramatic Changes in the 21st Century The Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company experienced dramatic changes in the early years of the new century. In 2001 plans were finalized to build a new plant on a nine-acre spot in the newly developed 100- acre Aspen Commerce Park. The company needed more room for the 35 employees […]
New Products and New Markets in the 1990s PowerAde, Dasani bottled water, and Fruitopia were introduced by the Coca-Cola Company in the 1990s. Political and economic changes opened vast markets that were closed or underdeveloped for decades. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Coca-Cola Company invested heavily to build plants in Eastern Europe. […]