THE CHRONICLES OF COCA-COLA - PART 2 - THE CANDLER ERA

ON MAY 1, 1889, ASA CANDLER PUBLISHED A FULL-PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL PROCLAIMING HIS WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DRUG BUSINESS AS "SOLE PROPRIETORS OF COCA-COLA...DELICIOUS. REFRESHING. EXHILARATING. INVIGORATING. "BY 1892, MR. CANDLER'S FLAIR FOR MERCHANDISING HAD BOOSTED SALES OF COCA-COLA SYRUP NEARLY TENFOLD. HE SOON LIQUIDATED HIS PHARMACEUTICAL BUSINESS AND FOCUSED HIS FULL ATTENTION ON THE SOFT DRINK. THE TRADEMARK "COCA-COLA," USED IN THE MARKETPLACE SINCE 1886, WAS REGISTERED IN THE U.S. PATENT OFFICE ON JANUARY 31, 1893. MR. CANDLER PROMOTED THE PRODUCT INCESSANTLY, DISTRIBUTING SOUVENIR FANS, CALENDARS, CLOCKS, URNS, AND COUNTLESS NOVELTIES, ALL DEPICTING THE TRADEMARK.

BOTTLING BEGAN IN 1894 AND WENT LARGE SCALE IN 1809. OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, THE NUMBER OF PLANTS GREW FROM TWO TO MORE THAN 1,000 - 95% OF THEM LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED. THE BOTTLERS IN THE EARLY 1900'S FOUGHT A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE AGAINST IMITATION PRODUCERS, WHICH WAS THE MAJOR FORCE BEHIND THE EVOLUTION OF THE DISTINCTIVE HOBBLE-SKIRT BOTTLE. COCA-COLA DESERVED A DISTINCTIVE PACKAGE, AND IN 1916 THE BOTTLERS APPROVED THE UNIQUE CONTOUR BOTTLE DESIGNED BY THE ROOT GLASS COMPANY OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA. THE NOW-FAMILIAR SHAPE WAS GRANTED REGISTRATION AS A TRADEMARK BY THE U.S. PATENT OFFICE IN 1977, AN HONOR ACCORDED ONLY A HANDFUL OF OTHER PACKAGES.

COURTESY OF "COCA-COLA REFRESHING RECIPES" -

ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE FOODS WITH THE GREAT TASTE OF COCA-COLA BOOK

THE HISTORY OF COCA-COLA, PART 2 OF 7.

TYPED BY: DEBBIE KIM KENNEDY

12/24/2021