Coca-Cola is undoubtedly one of the most famous food and drink companies globally. Around the world, people can quickly recognise its well-known logo and classic colour scheme.
Whether you prefer Diet Coke, Coke Zero, or one of the limited-edition flavours, you’ll still be able to recognise Coca-Cola’s distinctive style. Many brands aim for a similar level of fame, and a great logo is key to achieving this legendary status.
“Businesses cannot overlook the value a great logo holds; they are the connection between a company and potential customers, and what customers will remember most,” says Richard Lau, president of LOGO.com, an industry leader in logo design and marketing strategy.
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While at first glance the Coca-Cola logo may just seem like the brand’s name written in a sweeping font, the sweeping tail of the letter ‘C’ is said to represent a smile, a nod to the brand’s focus on joy. Richard added: “This subtle message may go unnoticed, but it subconsciously creates a positive association with the brand in the minds of consumers.”
Coca-Cola is forthcoming with its origin story, even in reference to how the famous logo came to be, and offers insight into its development throughout the years on its website. The iconic drink’s formula was finalised by Dr John S Pemberton in May of 1886.
He was a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia, and managed to create the syrup for Coca Cola. The beloved beverage saw carbonated water teamed with the new syrup to produce a drink dubbed “delicious and refreshing”.
According to the Coca-Cola website, Dr Pemberton “carried a jug of the new product down the street to Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta. There, it was sampled, pronounced ‘excellent’ and placed on sale as a soda fountain drink for five cents a glass”.
His bookkeeper, Frank M Robinson, suggested the name “Coca Cola” and “penned the flowing script that is famous today”. His idea for the legendary brand name came about from his belief that “the two Cs would look well in advertising” – a technique which also proved effective for Coco Chanel when she founded her legendary fashion house in 1910.
Robinson experimented with writing the company’s name in Spencerian script, which was a popular writing style back then. There were various iterations of the logo, including dramatic makeovers and new shapes, up until the late 1960s.
In 1969, the instantly recognisable version known and loved in modern times was formed. Unveiled as the Arden Square logo, it was “presented in a red box, with [Robinson’s] Coca‑Cola script underlined with a white ‘wave’, or ‘Dynamic Ribbon Device’.” This is still in use to this day.
Since the revelation, people have been discussing it on Reddit. Just recently, someone gushed over Coca Cola’s timeless design. One other person pointed out: “Also cool to see how it translates across different languages.”
Another added: “Ever since someone told me about the faces in the logo I can’t unsee it whenever I look at it.” Then a third gushed: “Perfect logo.” And a fourth chimed in: “Coca Cola is a cool logo that’s why they didn’t change it.”