I grew up in the world of antiques, right? My childhood was spent hunting flea markets, estate sales, yard sales, house calls… for all sorts of collectibles and antiques. Mom and Dad had my eyes trained to pinpoint certain things, even in the darkness of a 3:30am outdoor flea market stand setup.

Surprisingly, my parents were never too fanatical about Coke memorabilia, ephemera, or other collectibles. But we did have the occasional rare piece come into our possession. Then we’d flip it for money at an antique extravaganza weekend at Renninger’s in Adamstown, PA.

But why was this soda (or pop—reader’s choice) all over the place at these markets, and why did people drink it up?!

A Key Point Began at the Beginning, of Course

It all goes back to the very beginning in 1886, when Dr. John Stith Pemberton and Frank Mason Robinson named this syrupy “medicine.”

Coca-Cola…

Ah, alliteration!

Now that is marketable!

Robinson and Pemberton intentionally selected the name for its visual and advertising appeal, believing the two C’s would stand out in a typographic script logo. That decision, made at the very beginning, may be one of the most important branding choices in history.  

The logo is transferable across mediums, now both in the tactile sense and in the digital and augmented worlds of today. Coca-Cola had established a foundation of brand salience and imagery that has endured for well over a century, quickly coming up to 150 years!

This early focus on visual identity enabled Coca-Cola to extend far beyond a beverage. In terms of brand equity? Think of signage, packaging, and even collectibles that transformed the brand into something that could be owned, displayed, and preserved. Collectors drink it up.

Dick McChesney (2022) said in an interview with Fox 9 Minneapolis: “Coca-Cola put their name on almost anything they could. … the categories of collecting for collectors never stops.”

An Icon for an Icon, by an Icon

What image comes to mind when you hear the words “Santa Claus?”

A jolly guy in a red suit, rosy cheeks, a fluffy white beard, and maybe he’s drinking a Coke?!

In the 1930s, Coca-Cola partnered with illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop holiday advertising campaigns to further boost winter sales. This would come to standardize the moderKen depiction of Santa Claus. Prior to Sundblom’s take on Santa, representations varied widely across cultures. And while the red suit might not have been entirely new in the 1930s, Coca-Cola helped unify the image into one that is recognized globally today.

This is more than advertising. This is cultural influence at scale – arguably one of the clearest examples of a brand shaping global iconography. Coca-Cola embedded itself into one of the most emotionally charged traditions in the world, ultimately associating the brand with warmth, generosity, nostalgia, and togetherness.

From Keller and Swaminathan’s Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model, this reflects movement beyond performance into imagery, feelings, and ultimately brand resonance. Coca-Cola literally helped shape culture through participation.

In Perfect Harmony

This brings us into Chapter 12 in Keller and Swaminathan’s textbook and the concept of brand architecture. Over time, Coca-Cola mastered something many brands struggle to balance: consistency in identity (logo, color, tone) and flexibility in execution (campaigns, cultures, product variations).

Whether through global campaigns like the 1971 “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” or localized brand adaptations, Coca-Cola has maintained a strong core while evolving with its audience.

This aligns with Keller and Swaminathan’s discussions on brand architecture – a powerful parent brand supports extensions without diluting meaning. Think about how many different brands fall under the Coca-Cola parent. Coca-Cola’s ability to stretch works because the underlying associations are so deeply embedded.

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I’ll circle back to pounding the pavement at antique markets. Coca-Cola dominating these spaces. Entire booths were and still are dedicated to displaying all the various things that have the Coca-Cola name on it. Collectors hunt for rare signage, bottle editions, promotional items, seasonal collectibles, and more, because they are the preservers of this American history.

Very few brands can achieve this.

Coca-Cola is remembered, displayed, and passed down like a treasured family heirloom.

Playing the Coca-Cola Chess Board

I would lean into this history, especially with the approaching 150-year mark.

As carbonated soft drink consumption declines, Coca-Cola is already expanding into local brands and alternative beverages to meet shifting health and cultural expectation. It is a necessary evolution, along with continued efforts in sustainability.

However, one of its greatest strategic opportunities lies in formalizing its heritage as an active growth driver. These ideas could include limited-edition vintage packaging releases, collectible brand collabs, digitally authenticated memorabilia/modern collectibles, or maybe campaigns that bridge nostalgia with contemporary storytelling. This would activate its past beyond something to preserve and regain new participation from younger audiences.

Coca-Cola’s success is within its ability to embed itself into everyday life and cultural memory. It is remembered, collected, and passed down. Something that may represent the strongest form of brand equity there is.

And that’s coming from a Pepsi person.