🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

Which Well Known Soft Drink Originally Sold Their Brand in a "Hobble Skirt" Bottle?

Correct Answer: B) Coca-Cola

The Iconic Coca-Cola Bottle: From Creation to Global Symbol

In 1912, lawyer Harold Hirsch challenged glass companies across the U.S. to create a distinctive product easily recognizable by touch, even in the dark or when broken. This call led to the creation of the iconic Coca-Cola hobble skirt bottle.

The Root Glass Company in Indiana took on the task in 1916, designing the prototype to resemble the drink’s two primary ingredients—the coca leaf and the kola nut. Without having seen these ingredients, designers used a cocoa pod for inspiration.

Coca-Cola and Root Glass entered a contract allowing six glass manufacturers nationwide to produce the bottle. Initially, all bottles were to be colored “Georgia Green,” a nod to Coca-Cola’s Atlanta origins.

In 1950, Time magazine invited Coca-Cola CEO Robert Woodruff to be on its cover. Woodruff declined, insisting that the bottle itself should be featured. This marked the first time a commercial product appeared on Time’s cover.

The magazine cover helped establish Coca-Cola as a global brand, making the bottle design ubiquitous. The term “Coke” became synonymous with soda and has been featured in various media forms. In his 1975 book, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, the artist noted the universal appeal of Coke, highlighting its availability to everyone, from celebrities to everyday people.