What Does Coca-Cola Clothing Say to You?

People wear logo clothing in general because they like being associated with the company or product that the logo represents for one reason or another. Recently I was curious as to the different reasons that people would wear Coca-Cola clothing in particular. If the clothing we wear is an expression of our personality, just what are you saying when you wear Coca-Cola clothing?
The Coke brand is certainly known worldwide and has in fact even made it to the moon, but something told me that is not the reason that people have Coca-Cola clothing in their wardrobe. So I set about to find out.
It reminds me of when...The first young lady that I questioned was looking at a display of miscellaneous Coca-Cola collectible merchandise including Coke clothing items. She told me the following story when I asked her why she was considering the purchase:"Some of my most vivid childhood memories include Coca-Cola. There was a little roadside shack in New York where I grew up that served some of the best steamed clams and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs around and my parents used to take me there in the summers as far back as I can remember. I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 when I was allowed to go inside by myself and open the cooler and get my own Coke in a bottle, the real glass bottle, and open it on the bottle cap opener mounted to the door that I could just about reach. I was even allowed to drink it right out of the bottle. It made me feel like a big girl and I've loved Coke, especially in a glass bottle, ever since. Afterwards we would go to the beach and walk by the water. I still go back and visit that shack whenever I go to NY - how could I not love Coca-Cola with those kind of memories? So I guess that's why I'd wear a Coca-Cola sweatshirt or tank top, because it reminds me of special times."
Coca-Cola says AmericaThe next people I talked to were an older couple visiting from England. "We wanted something absolutely American to take back as gifts, and to us, Coca-Cola clothing is the perfect thing, to me a Coke t-shirt really says USA. I remember back during the war when I was a child seeing the American troops drinking Coke, one of them even gave me one once and I kept the bottle for a long time. I was fascinated by the American soldiers and everything American that I could learn about, so Coca-Cola and America go hand in hand for me."
It's always been thereA young man was eyeing a Coca-Cola jacket and told me that he doesn't even really drink a lot of Coke these days but that it's almost a comfort to him when he does and that just seeing the logo will make him smile. "It's always been there as far back as I can remember, Coke, that is. We outgrow so many of the things from our youth, but Coca-Cola is a brand that seems to carry through our lives, even if we're not drinking it ourselves, it's all around us, part of our culture in a way. Things change, that's one thing that you come to learn in life, so it's nice to have things that for the most part stay the same."
And so it seems that although the reasons vary widely and the stories span many generations as to why these folks are drawn to Coca-Cola clothing, one common theme is that Coca-Cola was and continues to be a part of people's lives in subtle, yet emotionally powerful ways. It seems that the marketing folks who coined the phrase "Have a Coke and a Smile" definitely knew what they were talking about.
Bob Zurn and his wife Joyce have been known to wear Coca-Cola Clothing themselves on numerous occasions as owners of Cola Corner, the leading online provider of Coca-Cola collectibles with a 3500 sq ft retail location in Southern California. Cola Corner offers over 900 new and vintage Coca-Cola Collectibles and a great selection of Coca-Cola Clothing.http://www.colacorner.com/

Recipes

Every once in awhile I will add a Coca-Cola recipe from the book Classic Cooking with Coca-Cola by Elizabeth Candler Graham. If you are interested in all the yummy recipes you can purchase the book through http://www.colacorner.com/

Quick BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup Catsup

1 cup Coca-Cola

Simply mix together and pour on meat as it cooks.

A really delicious and easy sauce!

Coca-Cola Roast

Ingredients:

1 Beef Roast (bottom round, chuck or other less tender cut works well)

12 ounces Coca-Cola

1 package dry onion soup mix

Place the unseasoned roast in a baking dish.

Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the roast.

Pour in the Coca-Cola. Cover and seal tightly with aluminum foil.

Place in oven and cook at 300 degrees until tender.

Time will vary with size of roast.

(A 4 lb roast will take 3 1/2-4hours).

This is also yummy in a crockpot!

I like to brown the meat first and then put everything in the crockpot adding a extra can of Coca-Cola or a cup or so of water to almost cover the meat.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

A Family Affair?

In these fast moving times with video games and computers enticing children of all ages, it can be tough to get your kids to play outside with friends, let alone to do something together with their family. Having something that families like to do together is a good thing and collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia fits that bill for many families quite nicely.
At first it might seem surprising that “collecting” could be something that could bring a family together and not be something that one generation is simply enduring for the benefit of the other. But that is where collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia is almost unique. Because Coke has been around for so long, it spans the generations so that there is truly something for everyone. Those who love antiques have their older Coke memorabilia to look for and learn about and those who like keeping current and are fans of pop-culture have limited edition collectibles being released in current times. Not only does Coke’s past give an opportunity for history to be learned, Coke’s life today gives parents an opportunity to stay current with their kids as they learn about what’s hot today and what’s not. There is also something for just about every time in between!
There are many unexpected “treasures” to be found in having collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia as your family’s hobby. Not only does it provide the obvious time together when tracking down that special item, but it fosters communication about a common topic as well as an opportunity for practicing and improving reading and research skills while learning about Coke’s history and their different memorabilia items. There are possibilities of meeting others involved in the hobby as well by becoming part of a Collectors group locally or in the nearest big city – also providing an opportunity for developing social skills and being exposed to people from different places. And although it leads back to the computer, doing some connecting with Collector groups on the Internet can encourage pen pals with a common (and safe!) interest as collector friendships build across the globe.
Some families also use their collecting as a great way to choose vacation destinations. Where will Coca-Cola be releasing their newest collectible item? At the 50 year anniversary of Disneyland? What a great excuse to pack up and go on a roadtrip! There is a new production facility opening in Texas? What a great way to learn about what happens behind the scenes of your family’s hobby than to include a visit there in an upcoming trip. Of course there is always The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia as an attraction unto itself.
And in a topic closer to home, collecting can also be an opportunity to learn the value of money. Although this can be an extremely affordable hobby, saving for a particular big ticket item that somebody would like to have in their collection sets a good example of what it takes to earn and save. Everyone can also learn responsibility of having to care for their collection, depending of course on what their particular Coca-Cola memorabilia of choice to collect might be. There might be dusting, or cleaning or hanging involved that also adds skills to the treasure chest.
Even those family members who may not seem as anxious to get involved might find some curiosity in specializing in a particular area of interest. Are they a soccer fan? How about collecting only soccer related Coke items? There are virtually endless possibilities of the specialties that can exist within Coca-Cola memorabilia. Pin-up girls of days gone by, Olympic related, sporting event limited editions, the Coke Polar Bears, Christmas items, and on and on. There is bound to be something that can spark a bit of interest and get everyone included in their own way.
Throughout the years, just as your family will grow and go in different directions as their interests develop and lives unfold, there will be memories and a common thread that you all will have. And the hobby can change and develop with you. The items collected may change as childhood fancies evolve into more mature interests. “Investing” in collectibles isn’t always just for monetary gain although that is a nice possibility. Collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia seems to include many other paybacks and to bring unexpected treasures to your door. It may be a stretch, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say “Families that Collect Coke together stay together?”

The Power of a Brand

There are few images as recognizable throughout the world as the Coca-Cola brand. Travel to the furthest reaches of the globe and you will probably encounter it on a clock or a sign, if not on the drink itself. Marketers today look to the Coca-Cola brand as a model of marketing power. Its image has transcended national borders and cultural barriers to reach almost everyone on earth. How did the Coca-Cola symbol become such an omnipresent image? Beginning in 1886, Coca-Cola president John Pemberton began traveling the country introducing pharmacists to the drink. At that time it was considered a medicinal substance that could relieve headaches and other minor woes. Candler distributed clocks, calendars and other items laden with the Coca-Cola logo as he toured the country, spreading the brand and selling his product. From there the brand continued to penetrate further around the world. The bottling rights to Coca-Cola were sold in 1899 and in 1915 the Root family submitted a standard size bottle for distribution, but it was too fat in the middle. The Coca-Cola Company liked the bottle so much they thinned it down and has been used ever since and is called a Hobbleskirt Bottle. By 1920, with new bottlers springing up all the time, the brand had expanded into Cuba, France, Puerto Rico and other territories. Its world dominance would increase further with World War II, when Coca-Cola promised that "every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for 5 cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company." Suddenly Coca-Cola could be found throughout Europe as American GIs carried it with them, and by 1960 the number of countries with Coke bottling plants had doubled.Today Coke remains a powerful brand with over a century of history behind it. As a result, items featuring previous incarnations of the Coke image have become classic pieces of Americana. The success of the Coca-Cola brand has made it an icon not just in the world of brand marketing but of American history. It symbolizes the popularity of a soft drink as well as the dominance of American entrepreneurialism in the twentieth century and beyond.