Vintage Soda Brandology

How Applied Color Labels Changed the Soda Industry

Tom Pettit

Collector, Brandologist

www.VintageSodaCollector.com

Table of Contents

Table of Contents        1

Introduction        2

What is a Brand? What is Brandology?        2

Brand Leads, Label Follows        3

The Applied Color Label Process        4

Categories of Applied Color Labels        5

1. Native Americans        7

2. Flying Friends (Birds, Bees, Hornets)        8

3. Transportation (Planes, Jets, Trains, Rockets)        9

4. Western (Cowboys, Cowgirls, Pioneer)        10

5. Sports (Sports, Football, Golfing)        11

6. Furry Animals (Deer, Fox, Bear, Gopher)        12

7. Women (Lady, Girl, Woman)        13

8. Winter (Snow, Winter, Skier)        14

9. America the Beautiful (Liberty, Uncle Sam, Capital)        15

10. Augusta, Georgia Brands        16

Resources        17

Introduction

        Do you know what makes up a brand? Or maybe what makes a brand successful? Have you ever wondered why certain soda brands have survived over the last century and why others have not? Within the long history and popularity of the soda pop industry in the United States, there have been a few brands that have been successful and still remain in the mainstream today as top sellers. But are you aware that there were thousands of small town brands that once existed in the past and are no longer around today? Why did most of these small town brands not survive? In most cases, the only remnants today of these small brands are there bottles and maybe so long lost advertisements artifacts. Back in the day, it's the bottles that gave these small brands not only a brand name, but a recognition to both what their brand stood for and most importantly the area in which it was produced. In the early 1930s when the Applied Color Label (ACL) process started to mature, it gave bottlers the ability to present their soda brand in a full color detailed label on their bottles. The purpose of this paper is to not only document this great revolution in soda history, but most importantly to do a deep dive in a subset of categories of ACLs and look at their geographical reference in relation to what was depicted on their applied color label.

What is a Brand? What is Brandology?

        Before we do a deep dive into better understanding soda brands, we need to first understand what is a brand and what does it mean to a company. If we were to look up the definition of “brand”, we would find such meanings and definitions as listed below;

“A brand is an overall experience of a customer that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising. Name brands are sometimes distinguished from generic or store brands”  Wikipedia

“A brand is a class of goods identified by name as the product of a single firm or manufacturer. A public image, reputation, or identity conceived of as something to be marketed or promoted”   Merriam-Webster

“A brand is a Unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these, employed in creating an image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors”

 Business Dictionary

Looking into these definitions, my favorite is the mention of “overall experience”. When I think of a certain brand lets say “Coca-Cola” I think of not only the great taste of the drink, but the packaging, the bright red label and logo, the history and reputation of the company, those great commercials from the past, the downfall of the “New” formula, and as a soda collector, all the different Coca-Cola bottles and collectables out there. This is my “overall” picture of the Coca-Cola brand. Brands such as Coca-Cola, are what Americans grew up with, as a young kid, as a teenager, and as an adult. It's these continuous memories that give us our “overall experience” of a certain brand or product.

You might of heard the saying “It can take years or even decades to build a brand, but as little as five minutes to ruin it” For sure this true in today's socially active society. Think of all the trials and tribulations companies go through to build and promote their products and brand recognition. The many TV commercials, posters, signs and other advertisements, giveaways and the list goes on and on. One simple bad news release or flaw in there product can cause a brand and/or company to collapse in no time seeing all of those decades of promotion come crumbling down including a company’s stock value. So let's give credit to those mainstream brands that withheld through the tests of time and yet still remain today leaders in their industry.

         Now that we have defined what makes up a brand, there is a relatively new term called “brandology” that has evolved. Please see below definitions of brandology:

 “Brandology is studying branding.  It sounds simple, but really isn’t.  Branding is intuitive story telling, and you can get it wrong just as easily as you can get it right.”

 Things that Matter the Most

“Brandology is the study of brands, consumer behavior and their interaction with each other in a society. It focuses on the influences of relationships and attitudes between brands and consumers, particularly how brands are established and change over time”

Confessions of a Brandaholic

The key term that comes out in these definitions of brandology is “study”. The study and learning of a brand and its complete overall perspective and how consumers have interacted with it in either a successful or unsuccessful nature. A good example study or story could be that of the Original Coke formula and the unsuccessful release of the new Coke formula. Learning and understanding these stories and the effect they had on America would be a great example of soda brandology.

Brand Leads, Label Follows

        Now that we have a good understanding of the definition of a brand and also brandology or the study of a brand, the key ingredient or face of a brand or product is its label. Many people might think of a label as just necessary packaging to identify a product, but it's all that and much more. For most definitions of label, it's commonly noted to be a material( paper, sticker..) that is attached and gives identification to the product. It does not mention that a product’s label is its most important and sometimes only chance to sell the consumer on its identification. Its superior ingredients, its origins or where it comes from, its catchy phrase or slogan, and most importantly why you should buy it. In addition, the thing that does this most on a label in most cases is a picture.The largest and most appealing picture or graphics on a product can easily make or break its success. Please see below photos of just a few ACL labels depicting their brand name and colorful graphics

The Applied Color Label Process

In the early twentieth century when the soda industry was starting to grow its roots with the main players such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Dr Pepper and the many other smaller brands, they started to bottle, the only choice was an embossed bottle with the possible addition of a costly paper label and a most cases a leaky seal. In 1891, William Painter’s patented crown cork closure system provided the ability to easily seal bottles. And with the ingenuity of Michael Owens and his invention of the automated bottling machine in 1903, mass production started to thrive for the soda industry. It was these new advancements that help to set the stage for both the mass production of bottling and also the applied color label opportunity.

        Prior to the color label era, bottlers only had two choices to label their product. First being the direct embossed in the glass bottle and in addition the glueing of a paper produced label. For both of these options, bottlers found it to be very costly and in addition a timely process. For the paper labeling process, most labels would get washed off in the reuse process and would need to be changed with a new label. As demand and mass production started to take off, bottlers needed to find a faster and more inexpensive process in order to meet demand. Through human ingenuity, bottlers started to test the use of pine oil mediums and printing screens in order to paint directly onto the glass bottle. During this printing, the bottle would need to be heated up and then need to dry 5-10 minutes between the different coats. Although this process was cost effective over glueing on paper labels, it still needed to be better perfected in order to keep up with the demand that bottlers needed to satisfy.

In the 1950s, automated machines help to make the process more efficient. In addition, the use of a thermoplastic wax medium was introduced which greatly reduced the dry times and increase the overall daily output. As the applied color label process fully matured, the increase of colors and extensive graphics took over to produce thousands of unique bottles and designs that make for now some well sought collector finds. For many of these ACL bottlers, collectors are able to find many different designs, colors or variances mostly related to the different types of sodas (Cola, Orange, Grape..) that they produced

 See below pictures of some different color combinations of ACL bottles:

     1 Color (White)                        2 Color (Blue and White)          3 Color (Red, Cream, Black)        

Categories of Applied Color Labels

        With all of the mentioned enhancements in the applied color label process, it enabled the ability to produce any type and color of label that was desired. In most cases, it would be the product name, a catchy phrase and/or the best picture that described their brand. In addition, many soda labels reference the local area in which it was produced. You can find numerous ACL brands with either national or geographical references such as rivers, mountains, parks and landmarks. In the aftermath, hundreds of categories of labels were developed that provides today’s collector a great selection of soda collectables. Whether it is ladies, native americans, animals, national landmarks, transportation, local city and states…  the applied color label uniqueness has provided its foundation and lasting mark on the vintage soda bottle collecting hobby.

   In this section and the main purpose of this documentary, I have decided on a subset of different categories of applied color labels listed below.  In addition, a section on Augusta, GA brands. Please see list of categories below;

1. Native Americans (Indians)
2. Flying Friends (Birds, Bees, Hornets)
3. Transportation (Planes, Jets, Trains, Rockets)
4. Western (Cowboys, Cowgirls, Pioneer)
5. Sports (Sports, Football, Golfer)
6. Furry Animals (Deer, Fox, Bear, Gopher)
7. Women (Lady, Girl, Woman)
8. Winter (Snow, Winter, Skier)
9. America the Beautiful (Liberty, Uncle Sam, Capital)
10. Augusta Brands

Using a data source of around 9,000 applied color label bottle listings, I have provided the following information for each category:

• Description of the category and the history of why/how this category evolved
• Listing of the major brands a picture of this specific category
• A geographical depiction for the category as a visual of the region and popularity for that type of label category         

Hope you enjoy both this documentary and most importantly my display at the FOHBC 50th Annual Convention in Augusta, Georgia

Sincerely, Tom Pettit

www.VintageSodaCollector.com

1. Native Americans

Category Description

The ancestors of living Native Americans arrived in what is now the United States for at least 15,000 years ago. Images of Native Americans and of aspects of Native American culture were common in advertisements in the United States. As like many other commercial products, the soda industry produced a large range of brands that deplicited Native Americans on their labels.

https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-timeline

Native American Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+16o2PYpfQ6GqZgM2YzIBtDldUXcygyK4pC2caK7UI+where+col2+%3D+%27Indian%27&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=42.00032514831621&lng=-98.3056640625&t=1&z=4&l=col9&y=2&tmplt=3&hml=GEOCODABLE

2. Flying Friends (Birds, Bees, Hornets)

Category Description

Birds are important because they keep systems in balance: they pollinate plants, disperse seeds, scavenge carcasses and recycle nutrients back into the earth. But they also feed our spirits, marking for us the passage of the seasons, moving us to create art and poetry, inspiring us to flight and reminding us that we are not only on, but of this earth. —Melanie Driscoll

https://www.audubon.org/news/why-do-birds-matter

Flying Friends (Birds, Bees, Hornets)  Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+16o2PYpfQ6GqZgM2YzIBtDldUXcygyK4pC2caK7UI+where+col2+in+(%27Bee%27,+%27Bird%27,+%27Hornet%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=42.00032514831621&lng=-98.3056640625&t=1&z=4&l=col9&y=2&tmplt=3&hml=GEOCODABLE

3. Transportation (Planes, Jets, Trains, Rockets)

Category Description

The history of transport is largely one of technological innovations. Advances in technology have allowed people to travel farther, explore more territory, and expand their influence over larger and larger areas. World War II saw a drastic increase in the pace of aircraft development and production. In the 1960s the race in space took mainstage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transport

Transportation Era (Planes, Jets, Trains, Rockets) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+16o2PYpfQ6GqZgM2YzIBtDldUXcygyK4pC2caK7UI+where+col2+in+(%27Jet%27,+%27Plane%27,+%27Rocket%27,+%27Train%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=44.43377984606822&lng=-94.2626953125&t=1&z=4&l=col9&y=2&tmplt=3&hml=GEOCODABLE

4. Western (Cowboys, Cowgirls, Pioneer)

Category Description

Cowboys played an important role during the era of U.S. westward expansion. Though they originated in Mexico, American cowboys created a style and reputation all their own. Throughout history, their iconic lifestyle has been glamorized in countless books, movies and television shows. As a result, the soda industry produced a great quantity of western brands and labels.

https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/cowboys

Western (Cowboys, Cowgirls, Pioneer) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+16o2PYpfQ6GqZgM2YzIBtDldUXcygyK4pC2caK7UI+where+col2+in+(%27Bronco%27,+%27Cowboy%27,+%27Cowgirl%27,+%27Pioneer%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=42.00032514831621&lng=-98.3056640625&t=1&z=4&l=col9&y=2&tmplt=3&hml=GEOCODABLE

5. Sports (Sports, Football, Golfing)

Category Description

Every season, millions of people cheer on their favorite teams, wear their colors, fly team flags from their cars, following their exploits with fierce loyalty and devotion. As like many other food products, the soda industry produced a large range of brands that depicted Sports on their labels.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-personal-renaissance/201504/what-do-we-love-about-sports

Sports (Sport, Golfer, Football) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+16o2PYpfQ6GqZgM2YzIBtDldUXcygyK4pC2caK7UI+where+col2+in+(%27Sports%27,+%27Sport%27,+%27Golfer%27,+%27Football%27,+%27Fooball%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=42.342305278572816&lng=-82.2216796875&t=1&z=4&l=col9&y=2&tmplt=3&hml=GEOCODABLE

6. Furry Animals (Deer, Fox, Bear, Gopher)

Category Description

With the aim of building relationships, many companies turn to using animals in their marketing efforts. Animals offer connections such as companionship, loyalty, and obedience, when humans do not always offer the same things in such a simple form

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/branding-marketing-animals

Furry Animals(Deer, Fox, Bear, Gopher) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+16o2PYpfQ6GqZgM2YzIBtDldUXcygyK4pC2caK7UI+where+col2+in+(%27Bear%27,+%27Deer%27,+%27Fox%27,+%27Gopher%27,+%27Seal%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=42.00032514831621&lng=-98.3056640625&t=1&z=4&l=col9&y=2&tmplt=3&hml=GEOCODABLE

7. Women (Lady, Girl, Woman)

Category Description

From the early days, women have been depicted in various forms of advertising ranging in many different roles, As like many other food products, the soda industry produced a large range of brands that depicted women on their labels.

https://adage.com/article/news/a-back-portrayals-women-advertising/294756

Women (Lady, Girl, Woman) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+1YRJP_XQykyp38tDpttUZmUgva83seRIV519clX1j+where+col2+in+(%27woman%27,+%27Woman%27,+%27Lady%27,+%27Girl%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=39.526245403269066&lng=-75.24008665000002&t=1&z=3&l=col9&y=3&tmplt=4&hml=GEOCODABLE

8. Winter (Snow, Winter, Skier)

Category Description

The winter section incorporates labels that include a wintery scene that include pictures of items such as; snowman, skiing, snow-capped mountains, and ice skaters. The winter season can run over half of the year for northern states, so it makes sense for these bottlers to use appealing winter scenes on their labels.

Great White North (Snow, Winter, Skier) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+1YRJP_XQykyp38tDpttUZmUgva83seRIV519clX1j+where+col2+in+(%27Winter%27,+%27Snow%27,+%27Skier%27,+%27Skater%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=39.526245403269066&lng=-75.24008665000002&t=1&z=3&l=col9&y=3&tmplt=4&hml=GEOCODABLE

9. America the Beautiful (Liberty, Uncle Sam, Capital)

Category Description

American patriotism is patriotism involving cultural attachment to the United States of America. Identified as related to American nationalism, despite many diverse ethnic backgrounds in the United States, pride in the American way of life is common amongst all of the citizens; the US constitution is at the center of this national pride 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_patriotism

America the Beautiful (Liberty, Uncle Sam, Capital) Soda Bottle Labels Fusion Map https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col9+from+1YRJP_XQykyp38tDpttUZmUgva83seRIV519clX1j+where+col2+in+(%27Liberty%27,+%27Capital%27,+%27Uncle+Sam%27)&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=39.526245403269066&lng=-75.24008665000002&t=1&z=3&l=col9&y=3&tmplt=4&hml=GEOCODABLE

10. Augusta, Georgia Brands

Category Description

This section is dedicated to some ACLs that were produced in Augusta Georgia.

Resources

Definition of Brand

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brand

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brand.html

Definition of Brandology

https://ttmm.io/biz/brandology-definition/

http://www.confessionsofabrandaholic.com/

Definition of Label:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/label

Coca-Cola Brand

https://us.coca-cola.com/

Brand Categories References

Native Americans

https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-timeline

Flying Friends

https://www.audubon.org/news/why-do-birds-matter

Transportation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_transport

Western

https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/cowboys

Sports

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-personal-renaissance/201504/what-do-we-love-about-sports

Furry Animals

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/branding-marketing-animals

Women

https://adage.com/article/news/a-back-portrayals-women-advertising/294756

Winter

America the Beautiful

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_patriotism

Augusta Brands

Books

Sweenty, Rick (2003). Collecting Applied Color Label Soda Bottles

Third Edition 2002