World of Coca-Cola

The exterior of the new World of Coca-Cola at Pemberton Place.

The World of Coca-Cola is a permanent exhibition featuring the history of The Coca-Cola Company and its well-known advertising as well as a host of entertainment areas and attractions. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place (named in honor of John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola), a 20-acre (81,000 m²) complex located across Baker Street from Centennial Olympic Park that also includes the Georgia Aquarium. It opened to the public on May 24, 2007, relocating from and replacing the original exhibit.

Original Museum

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Former World of Coca Cola by Underground Atlanta

The original World of Coca-Cola was in the heart of downtown Atlanta, adjacent to the Underground Atlanta shopping area at 55 Martin Luther King Jr Drive. It was opened in 1990, and remained open for 17 years until it was replaced by the New World of Coca-Cola at Pemberton Place. The original World of Coca-Cola Atlanta welcomed around nine million visitors during that time to become Atlanta's most visited indoor attraction.

The museum was located in a three-story pavilion and at its entrance had a huge neon Coca-Cola sign (30 feet high and 26 feet wide). The tour started on the top floor and worked downwards, featuring approximately 1,000 Coca-Cola artifacts presented in chronological order, interactive exhibits such as a replica 1930s soda fountain and video presentations of Coca-Cola advertising over the years and a 10-minute film "Every Day of Your Life" about Coke across the world.

The highlight of the tour was the 'Spectacular Fountain,' allowing visitors to sample various Coke products, and in the same room, at the 'Tastes of the States' area, guests were able to try 22 different soft drink brands, some available only regionally, including Citra and Barq's Red Creme Soda. The 'Tastes of the World' exhibit in the International Lounge featured brands made by the Coca-Cola Company around the world. There was also a gift shop.

The exhibit was relocated and updated as the Coca-Cola Company wanted a bigger, more modern facility, at which they could display more of the vast amount of memorabilia at their disposal. By September 2007, the building stood empty, the neon sign had been removed, and there was little to indicate the building's former use.

The New World of Coca-Cola

Lower Level

After going through a security checkpoint involving airport-style metal detectors, guests begin their visit in "The Lobby," which features large Coca-Cola bottles made from different materials from around the world. Guests are then funneled into the "Coca-Cola Loft," a collection of Coca-Cola advertising artifacts dating back as far as 1905, while they wait to enter the "Happiness Factory Theatre." Once in the theatre, guests view Inside the Happiness Factory: A Documentary, a mockumentary featuring the characters of the Happiness Factory, a key part of Coca-Cola's current advertising campaign, "The Coke Side of Life." Unlike the old museum, this allows Coca-Cola to prominently feature its current marketing campaign early in the tour to a captive audience. The use of a film also allows the company to change the presentation as advertising campaigns change, though the original film (and a variation of the campaign it represents) remains current as of July 2009.

Following the film, the screen scrolls upward, revealing a walkway into "The Hub." From this point forward, guests can visit the various attractions in whatever order they choose, all of which can be accessed from The Hub. This is a departure from the old museum, which was toured in a linear fashion.

A number of attractions can be accessed from The Hub. On Level One in the Hub, guests can pose for a picture with the Coca-Cola mascot, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. Guests can also listen to positive stories of The Coca-Cola Company's influence in the world from the people who have experienced the benefits in the Coca-Cola Connections attraction.

A display of Coca-Cola memorabilia

Also on Level One is the Milestones of Refreshment attraction, showcasing artifacts from Coca-Cola's branding efforts. The oldest artifact is a packing slip from 1888 detailing Coca-Cola sales figures nationwide. The Bottle Works display gives guests a tour of a fully-functioning bottling line which produces commemorative 8-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola Classic that can be retrieved at the end of the tour. The bottling process is slowed down significantly to allow guests an easier view. A complex robotic delivery system sends the bottles upstairs to "Taste It!" where guests retrieve them as they exit.

Upper Level

From Level Two of the Hub, visitors can visit the In Search of the Secret Formula attraction, a 4-D film presentation featuring an eccentric scientist and his assistant searching for "what makes a Coke a Coke". The seats in the theatre move and the attraction features wind and water effects. It also includes a ten-minute video pre-show providing exposition of the film's storyline. In the Pop Culture Gallery, guests gain insight into Coca-Cola's influence into popular culture. This section includes trinkets and memorabilia made from used Coca-Cola cans and bottles. It also features works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Steve Penley. This gallery also houses the museum's only acknowledgment of "New Coke", one of history's most infamous commercial failures, in the form of a video, some original marketing and packaging materials, and artifacts from protests.

In the Perfect Pauses Theater, Coca-Cola's television advertising efforts are displayed in three short films, Magic Moments: Memorable Coca-Cola advertisements from the United States, Animation Celebration: Animated Coca-Cola-themed advertisements, and International Festival: Recent Coca-Cola advertisements from around the world.

Guests can sample nearly 70 products offered by The Coca-Cola Company worldwide in the Taste It! exhibit, including most of the products offered in the United States. One room with a giant Coca-Cola contour bottle features only products that include the name "Coca-Cola" or a variation in their titles, including Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, and most currently-available variations on the original formula (including Coca-Cola Vanilla, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Cherry, and others). The last stop on Level Two, the Coca-Cola Store, features thousands of Coca-Cola-themed products for guests to purchase. Once guests enter the store, they cannot return to the museum. The store can also be accessed by guests not visiting the museum.

Visitors are given a memento of their tour: an 'Atlanta, GA' stamped bottle of Coca-Cola. Every bottle of Coke worldwide is branded on the bottom of the bottle from where it was bottled. The bottles given out are unique to the museum.

Visitor Numbers

The World of Coca-Cola is expected to attract between 5.8 to 11.3 million visitors a year. Its design allows it to be easily updated as trends and advertising campaigns change, something the previous museum lacked.

Other Locations

World of Coca-Cola Las Vegas, built 1998, was located on Las Vegas Boulevard South (more famously known as the Las Vegas Strip), adjacent to the MGM Grand Las Vegas hotel and casino. It was closed in 2000; however, the Everything Coca-Cola store remains open.

World of Coca-Cola Tokyo was located on the 6th floor of Mediage in Daiba. It closed on January 15, 2007.

There is a Coca Cola theme store in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada called Always Refreshing Soda Shop on Falls Avenue near Clifton Hill. It does not appear to be an World of Coca-Cola store, but it is licensed to sell Coke products. The soda shop has a small retail section and sells glass and plastic bottles of Coke and Diet Coke.

External links

• World of Coca-Cola Atlanta website
• World of Coca-Cola Tokyo website (Japanese)
• World of Coca-Cola from Roadside Georgia
• Yahoo Travel reviews of World of Coca Cola
• Coca-Cola slogans over the years
• Always Refreshing Soda Shop

References

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