Coca-Cola Classic Can

Description:

This lever-top twelve-ounce Coca-Cola Classic can was produced around 1999. The Coca-Cola Company released Coke Classic in 1985, eleven weeks after the launch of New Coke. Coke Classic was introduced in response to the fierce media and consumer backlash against New Coke, out of fear that the new formula would replace the familiar taste. The company’s return to the original formula made headlines in the news. Coke Classic, clearly labeled “Coke Classic Original Formula,” began to sell better than the first Coca-Cola brand and improved sales into the 1990s.

This controversy renewed recognition within the company of the attachment and loyalty that consumers had to the original brand. “Coca-Cola” had become more than the name of an individual beverage, and the company designated it as the name of a “megabrand” representing their entire line of soft drinks. Coca-Cola is the most widely recognized brand in the world. In 2013 63 percent of its $46.7 billion in sales came from over 200 countries around the world. To maintain its brand awareness, the company spent $3.3 billion on advertising.

From 1984 to 1986, Landor Associates was enlisted to create a consistent design for all Coca-Cola packaging, setting a visual standard for the company and assisting its establishment as a global megabrand. The story behind Coke Classic and the establishment of the megabrand represents the tensions involved in maintaining the weight of historic value and product integrity, while being an institution that is flexible to change.

The Coca-Cola Company was founded in 1886 by an American pharmacist, and began its international distribution in the 1920s. Since then Coca-Cola has expanded its operations to more than 200 countries worldwide. Its marketing strategies and packaging innovations have helped to establish the popularity of cola drinks in the soft drink industry.