The original World of Coca-Cola was in the heart of Atlanta, adjacent to Underground Atlanta at 55 Martin Luther King Jr Drive. It opened in 1991, and remained open for 16 years until it was replaced by the current location. The original museum welcomed around nine million visitors during that time to become Atlanta's most visited indoor attraction.
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. Music heard there in the background is a world music style medley of 10 Coke jingles from the last 60 years arranged by Stephen James Taylor. Guests are then funneled into the "Coca-Cola Loft," a collection of Coca-Cola advertising artifacts dating back as far as 1896, 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, "Open Happiness." 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) is still in use as of October 2010.
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 see the "Vault of the Secret Formula," which is an interactive exhibit on the mystique of the Coca-Cola Secret Formula.
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 allows guests to see the operation of a fully functioning bottling line which produces commemorative 8-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola Classic. 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 the museum.
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 (actor: James Meehan) and his assistant (actor: Jameelah McMillan) 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, as well as an array of Coca-Cola themed collectible items. Works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, Howard Finster, and Steve Penley are on display. In addition, several paintings of Santa Claus by Haddon Sundblom, which have been used in the company's winter advertising campaigns since the 1930s, can be found here. 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 64 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,the Italian apéritif Beverly, Coca-Cola Cherry, and others). There is also a Coca-Cola Freestyle self-serve machine, which can dispense a guest's choice of over 100 carbonated and non-carbonated beverages produced by the company. 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 8-fluid-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola with a special label and cap indicating that it was bottled at this location. The bottom of every bottle of Coke manufactured worldwide carries a code indicating its point of origin; the bottles generated at the World of Coca-Cola are unique to its production line.
The World of Coca-Cola welcomes over one million guests each year. Its design allows it to be easily updated as trends and advertising campaigns change, something the previous museum lacked.
Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!
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