To celebrate 125 years of sharing happiness since the first Coca-Cola was enjoyed on May 8, 1886, The Coca-Cola Company is thanking everyone who has made refreshing the world since then possible with innovative, cultural events and exclusive collaborations throughout the year and around the globe.
On May 7, Coca-Cola will host a special festival at Pemberton Place in Atlanta for employees and their families, where they will assemble Red Cross disaster relief kits and participate in a variety of arts activities. That afternoon, the Company will also host a 125th Anniversary Celebration Concert that will be streamed online as a live ‘thank you’ to people around the world at www.Coca-Cola.com/125, with integration through social media including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Musicians from Somalia, New Zealand, Britain and the United States will come together to perform at the concert.
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the concert will kick off with a performance by K’NAAN, including worldwide hit ‘Wavin’ Flag,’ the Coca-Cola anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The lineup also includes emerging talent One Night Only, Grammy-nominated pop star Natasha Bedingfield and R&B artist Ne-Yo.
Around the world, additional Coca-Cola celebrations and moments of thanks are well underway, including the following, among many others:
• The kickoff of a series of sustainability initiatives in Kenya, including the launch of a Kenya Red Cross water partnership.
• The grand opening of a World of Coca-Cola exhibition in Russia, featuring elements of the Company’s history.
• Grants for community initiatives that align with ‘Live for A Difference’ priorities in South Africa.
• A consumer campaign in the United States inviting people to enjoy ‘125 Years of Summer Fun,’ including a new package size for Coca-Cola—1.25 liters.
• Sponsorship of the Harare International Festival of Arts in Zimbabwe, bringing together more than 140 artists from around the globe and more than one thousand local artists.
Coca-Cola advertising, photography and artwork will be captured in a commemorative book, published by Assouline, as a reflection of the brand’s relevance in popular culture over the past 125 years. The books will be available at retail stores worldwide and at www.assouline.com with a digital version also available for download in the App Store for the Apple iPad.
To further mark this milestone, Coca-Cola will release limited edition packaging in select markets around the world. Worldwide, people can now enjoy the Coca-Cola heritage archives through the new Virtual Museum, an online 360-degree tour of the never-before-seen Coca-Cola archives, which can be found at www.theverybestofcocacola.com. Additionally, this week a new Coca-Cola Heritage App will debut in the App Store.