Michael Shanks - site 2006: Aaron Smith & Zachary Kinloch: The Coke Can

Here is our final project!

http://www.stanford.edu/~zacharyk/Page/

This was an awesome class, hope you enjoy the project!

-Zach

Look at this Coca-Cola video! In 1969 Coca Cola assembled a chorus of young people on a hilltop in Italy. The commercial starts with a close-up of the face of a young woman singing Coke's lyrics. Overhead lighting reflects off her blonde hair. As other voices join in, the camera slowly pulls back revealing a multi-racial chorus of young people neatly dressed in their traditional garb, all holding a bottle of Coke.

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View Document Icon coke03-69.mov

Wrote a five page paper on Coca-Cola's connection to Nazi Germany. Personally, after research, I feel that I will not drink beverages manufactured by Coke, a company that is willing to overstep moral and ethical boundaries and support the institutionalized killing of Jews for the mere sake of profit! Coca-Cola Helped Kill the Jews?

As citizens of the United States with a very sheltered and American-centric perspective of the world, we love all American invented and made products with a passionate zeal. One company that epitomizes American products is Coca-Cola, a refreshing, caffeinated and fizzy soft drink. Billboards all over the country bear the image of a silhouetted Coca-Cola bottle on its side with the caption: “Quick. Name a soft drink.” The image reveals the iconic nature of the soft drink that fills the famous contoured bottle. Unmistakably Coca-Cola. Unmistakably American. By utilizing masterful branding and advertising to promote Coca-Cola as part of everyday life and congruent with American ideals, Coke is as American as apple pie and baseball. Regardless of one’s age, Coca-Cola’s enduring upbeat image throughout the decades evokes feelings of overwhelming pride, hope and refreshment. However, during the time surrounding WWII, Coca-Cola shifted it focus from the United States and focused on aggressively expanding its presence around the world to dominate emerging markets and capitalize on key opportunities to spread the developing empire. After convincing the United States government that distributing Coke to all men fighting on the front lines would boost morale and allow them a chance to refresh themselves while reminiscing about returning to America, Coke started making inroads into enemy territory. Sometimes during one of the many German advances onto Allied territory, German troops stumbled across caches of Coca-Cola left behind by the retreating troops. But the discovery of the precious soft drink came with one hitch; Coca-Cola cannot satisfy the parched throats and dry thirst of the soldiers unless it was consumed cold. However, Luftwaffe-pilots discovered that by wrapping wet towels around the bottles and tying them to the wings of their airplanes, the effects of evaporation and the frigid temperature of higher altitudes cooled the bottles down. After the pilots touched down in their air bases, they eagerly plucked out frost Coca-Cola bottles and chugged down the effervescent soft drink. Demand for Coke was growing at a tremendous rate at the grassroots level. Coca-Cola entered Germany around the time of the Great Depression in 1929, but it had to overcome numerous obstacles and competition for many years before it was a major player in the German drink market. Luckily, the Coca-Cola Company in Germany possessed similar ideals and attitudes as the newly implemented Nazi party in 1933 which aided the company’s ascendancy. “What saved the Coca-Cola GmbH from being crushed by Germany’s fascist rulers was that its corporate structure and advertising philosophy came naturally close to the Nazi’s totalitarian ideas of a brave new world.” The Nazis regarded mass-production and mass-consumption and government interests subsequently overlapped; the Nazis regarded mass-production and mass-consumption as crucial building blocks of their new society.” (http://www.country-liberal-party.com/pages/Nazi-Cola.htm) Although these pictorial examples of Coca-Cola advertisements are innocuous in nature, there are an abundance of examples that show how Coke’s advertising support Third Reich. Coca-Cola’s marketing efforts took advantage of the Nazi’s many venues for propaganda such as; film, radio, publications and sporting events and reflected the ideals of German’s National-Socialist society. For example:

“There the heart laughs”

Coca-Cola’s marketing efforts took advantage of the Nazi’s many venues for propaganda such as; film, radio, publications and sporting events and reflected the ideals of German’s National-Socialist society. For example: • Coke sponsored the 1936 Nazi Olympics where Hitler showcased his Aryan vision to the world, while hiding the "Don't shop at Jewish shops" posters. • Coca Cola GmbH sought to be associated with the Nazis, it became a bit of a joke that if Hitler or a high ranking Nazi was on the front cover of a magazine Coke would advertise on the back. • Coke advertised on billboards, that were by the Berlin stadiums, so people attending Goebbel's rallies had to walk past them. • Coke financially supported the Nazis by advertising within Nazi newspapers, in one instance Coke published responses to accusations from rival bottlers that they were a Jewish company. These denunciations were placed in Nazi rags. • Coke advertised in the Nazi Army paper shortly after the invasion of Sudetenland, the ad was a picture of a hand holding a bottle of coke over a map of the world, the slogan was "Yes we have got an international reputation."

Trade fair during Hitler’s reign

“The refreshment”

Coca-Cola achieved great success under the Nazis due to the high amount of collaboration that existed among the two mega-organizations. Coca-Cola GmbH and the Nazis were in a harmonious symbiotic relationship that needed one another. Coca-Cola relied on the Nazis for territorial expansion which would open up further expansion opportunities for Coke while the Nazis held Coca-Cola as the role model and epitome of mass-production, efficiency and modernization. However, can the public find it ethically agreeable that a American company sanction such behavior and worked so closely to a regime that brought terror and murder upon its citizens? Keith, the director of German operations urged his workers to forge onward into the future, never to be content until every citizen was a Coke consumer. "We know we will reach our goal only if we muster all our power in a total effort," he said. "Our marvelous drink has the power of endurance to continue this march to success." [. . .] The meeting closed with a "ceremonial pledge" to Coca-Cola and a ringing, three-fold "Sieg-Heil" to Hitler. The Coca-Cola company went beyond it duties as a company to endorse the Nazi party merely for capital gains. The leadership of the German Coca-Cola division partook in Nazi activity and enlisted the coerced labor of condemned Jews during the concentration camp time period. It calls into question whether people should endorse such a company that is willing to overstep ethical and moral boundaries for the sake of profits.

-Zach

Discovered that Coca-Cola built factories in Germany during the Nazi regime a partook in racist propaganda to win the hearts and minds of the German youth. Fanta was a product created out of the German branch of Coca-Cola to specifically appeal to the Nazis and the Third Reich.

Even after being such an active participant in the Nazi regime, perhaps propelling the "Final Solution" by encouring bigoted thought and ignorance, the Coca-Cola company is still revered around the world and chugged by Jews despite this fact! Why?

http://www.mtcp.co.uk/coca-cola/background.php

It is very interesting to read countless articles on how Coca-Cola remains the dominant soft drink around the world despite numerous company and distributor setbacks.

Why is Coca-Cola such a revered brand overseas?
How can one drink appeal to the palates of so many people around the world?

Press release - SOFT DRINK MARKETS IN 174 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE DOCUMENTED IN MASSIVE FIVE-VOLUME REPORT FROM BEVERAGE MARKETING CORPORATION Flavor, Brand, Companies Data and Trends Charted Globally and by Country, Continent and Region Coca-Cola's Dominant Lead Maintained Despite Setbacks

http://www.beveragemarketing.com/news2p.htm

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For our research project, Zach and I will take a look at a Coca-Cola Can. First of all, we will talk about the history of the actual drink and the evolution of its formula. We will look into the materials used, more specifically those involved with cans and bottles and their respective histories. With this, we will study the science behind the manufacturing of Coke. Lastly, we will look at the impact of Coca-Cola on American Culture and vice versa. This, of course, will be closely tied to Coca-Cola's advertising campaigns over the decades and the style of their soda bottles/cans. And just for fun at the end, we might do a small bit about the rivalry of Coke and Pepsi. Through my research, we will be able to show how influential America’s soda actually is.

Coke
	History
	Chemical Formula
		Evolution of
		Addition of other types of sodas
	Physical Can
		Ability to harvest Aluminum Cans, Glass Bottles and Plastic Bottles
		Shape of Can
		Standardization
		Manufacturing
	Evolution of Types of Sodas Created
	American Culture
	New type of Drink
		Sodas popularity
		Medical Remedy
	International Growth
	Cocaine
	Baseball on Sundays
	Coca Cola Advertising (Polar bears)
	Coke versus Pepsi
	Refrigeration
	Store Location (and Evolution)
	Health Factor
	Refreshing Beverage
	Coke and Rum
	“Do you want a coke?”  “What kind?”
	Used in many alcholic drinks
	Kola Nut

The History of Coca Cola - http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcocacola.htm

Highlights in the History of Coca-Cola Television Advertising - http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colahist.html

Part 1: The History of Pop Timeline - http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa091699.htm

Coca Cola: History of Bottling - http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/historybottling.html

COCA COLA HISTORY - http://www.solarnavigator.net/sponsorship/coca_cola.htm

Charles Martin Hall (1863-1914) - Aluminum - http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blaluminum.htm

Cans: A visual History - http://www.cancentral.com/brochure/

History of Aluminium - http://www.world-aluminium.org/history/

History of Aluminium - http://www.alcoa.com/brazil/en/alcoa_brazil/history_alum.asp

HISTORY OF THE BEVERAGE CAN - http://www.gono.com/history/history.htm

COKE CAN HISTORY - http://home.comcast.net/~collectiblesodacans/Cokepg1.htm

Wikipedia on concaine - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine