The Story of the Coca-Cola Logo: How This Successful Logo Was Created

The refreshing taste of Coca-Cola, the world's most popular soft drink, is known to virtually every person in the modern world. Statistics say that more than 1,9 billion servings of cola are consumed every day on the planet, but have you ever wondered how the logo of this unique brand came about and what it means?

Let's go back to the origins

The history of the Coca-Cola logo began in New York way back in 1886, and despite its more than 130 years of existence, the overall style of this logo remains unchanged. The only exception is the typeface: over time, it has become lighter and brighter.Oddly enough, the very first Coca-Cola sign, just like the name of this legendary drink, was developed not by a famous designer, but by a simple accountant called Frank Robinson, owner of the famous spencer fontThe economist's handwriting gave the logo its unmistakable curl, and a powerful advertising campaign directed by American entrepreneur Asa Kendler made it even more memorable. The Coca-Cola logo then appeared literally everywhere: it was featured on flyers and huge billboards installed along the streets, adorned the pages of newspapers and fashion magazines, and was displayed on souvenirs and the uniforms of many famous athletes. Even other, lesser-known soft drink manufacturers began to copy it.Unfortunately, neither the inventor of this wonderful drink nor the creator of its logo were able to enjoy the fruits of fame. The former, pharmacist John Stitt Pemberton, died in extreme poverty in August 1888, when his invention was just beginning to gain popularity. He was buried in a pauper's cemetery, and only 70 years later was a stone headstone placed in honor of the founder of the world's best-selling soft drink. As for Frank Robinson, his fate is still unknown, but there is no written evidence from the time to suggest he received any material reward for his creation.

The Evolution of the Coca-Cola Logo

Although Robinson's curly Spencer lettering brought universal recognition to the drink, company executives decided not to stop there. Being open-minded, they regularly changed the exterior logo, adding or removing additional decorations. The Coca-Cola brand underwent its first changes in 1887. Then the word "Trade Mark" appeared on the curl of the first letter C. However, these changes went unnoticed even by the most loyal fans of the sugary soda.

The next logo transformation occurred a few years later. This was the only time the Coca-Cola logo radically changed from its usual form. Unfortunately or fortunately, the imaginative spelling of the brand name didn't catch the attention of consumers. Realizing their mistake, company executives quickly reverted to the traditional way of writing the brand name.

In the mid-17th century, the lettering was slightly changed again. The Coca-Cola logo of that time is not that different from the current one. However, the trademark registration is characterized by the combination "Reg. US Pat Off", which was immediately placed under the name of the drink. After another 1969 years, a red background appeared in the logo for the first time, which later became one of the company's trademarks. In XNUMX, the world-famous lettering was enriched with another element: a small white wave. At the same time, the word CLASSIC appeared on the image. If you look closely at the drink from that time, you'll notice that where the letter I intersects the wave, the font becomes slightly smaller. This writing principle is still relevant today.

After some time, three more waves joined the first ones, one yellow and two white. All three were positioned directly below the main lettering. Bubbles also appeared on the logo. However, within a few years, these innovations disappeared. At the same time, production of the Diet Coca-Cola drink was launched, featuring a corresponding label.

The last logo changes took place in 2007. For the company's 125th anniversary, the creators decided to return to the classic version of the emblem with a white wave and a simple, flat image. Since then, the Coca-Cola brand has remained unchanged. However, two additional logo variations were subsequently developed. They were dedicated to the 2th anniversary of the legendary glass bottle and the 100th anniversary of the brand itself.

Curiosities about the creation of the logo

There are many curiosities regarding the history of the creation of the Coca-Cola logo. Here are some:

• After the logo was analyzed by professional vexillologists (flag experts), it turned out that between the letters O and L you can see the flag of the Kingdom of Denmark. This incident has only benefited the brand: it helps the Kingdom to organize all the events that take place in this state;
• Residents of many countries in the Near and Middle East claim that the blasphemous inscription "No Muhammad, No Mecca" is hidden in a mirror image of the logo.
• The biggest embarrassment surrounding the drink's emblem occurred in China in 1927. The Chinese characters, which, despite being spelled Coca-Cola, were translated as "flattened wax mare." Because of this polysemous interpretation, the spelling of the brand in the Chinese language was immediately revised;
• Throughout its existence, Coca-Cola has never lost a single trademark infringement lawsuit. The company has won cases involving the unlawful use of similar fonts, the trademark red, and other elements;
• The first billboard bearing the company's trademark was installed in the town of Cartsville, Georgia, in 1904. You won't believe it, but in these 115 long years it has never been removed or moved from there;
• The brand's largest logo is located on a hill near the Chilean city of Arica. The label, created from several hundred empty Coca-Cola bottles, is truly extraordinary in size! It measures 124 meters long and stands just over 40 meters tall.

     As you can see, creating a brand is not only a complicated task, but also incredibly exciting. Do you want to achieve the same success as the makers of Coca-Cola? Do you dream of your brand becoming as bright and recognizable as the famous "C" letters? Sign up for Logaster and create your own logo! Using the site is simple: just indicate your industry and enter the name of your product. The system will develop an impressive number of logos, from which you can choose the one that best suits you. Be bold and remember the words of the great Indian philosopher Osho: "He who does not knock does not open. He who does not try does not succeed."