But before we actually get started, here are some facts from the history of Coca-Cola. The first recipe of the drink was developed by John Pemberton and was patented in 1887. Currently it is the biggest-selling soft drink, while the brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is the most popular in the world. The success of the drink inspired the company to develop a variety of other related drinks like the Diet Coke or the Coca Cola Zero. Also, while The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) originally produced only Coke, currently it holds several hundreds of other brands.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the most popular myths about Coca-Cola, in a fashion similar to our list of what to know about Europe.
No. 6: The Coke Barbecue Sauce
Why bother having a glass of Coke next to your meal, when you could pour it directly in? Cook book author Steve Raichlen came up with a recipe for barbecue sauce which lists Coke as one of the main ingredients.
No. 5: Coke for A Deeper Tan
How exactly people discovered this particular ability of Coke is somewhat of a mystery. Next time you’re at the beach, don’t be silly enough to invest in a tanning lotion when you could simply buy a bottle of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)’s Coke. Take the drink, mix it up with baby oil, and spray evenly. Apparently, it gives you a deeper tan. A sticky, deeper tan, that is.
See the rest of some unknown Coca Cola information on the following pages:
No. 4: The Coke and Mentos Combo
There probably are thousands of videos on YouTube portraying this particular myth, but considering how much this topic has been discussed in the history of Coca-Cola, we just had to mention it in our countdown. The principle: insert Mentos tablets into Coke bottle, agitate, and release. Voila! You have yourself a nice little erupting volcano.
No. 3: Coke is Poured on Dance Floors to Make Them Slip-Proof
Apparently, a perfectly choreographed dance routine is nothing without a non-slippery floor. It is somewhat common routine for Coke to be poured on dance stages before filming a scene. As the Coke dries, the floor becomes sticky and the dancers can avoid slipping during their performance.
No. 2: Cocaine Was One of the Original Ingredients
Rumors that Coca-Cola once had cocaine in it have been circulating for many years. Although some people are still reluctant to believe it, this happens to be true. Until 1903, the beverage had trace amounts of cocaine in it, and the company even advertised the drink as some sort of remedy for a number of medical conditions. Well, since cocaine wasn’t illegal until 1914, it wasn’t that much of shock back then as it would seem now.
No. 1: The “Feel the Curves” Poster
One artist’s practical joke ended up costing the Coke company over $200,000. In mid-1980s, the Coca-Cola company was running its Feel the Curves campaign, a marketing move designed to bring back the original glass bottle. In Australia, the artist hired to do the posters for the campaign decided to be a little creative and included a small detail: a woman performing a sexual act. This detail wasn’t noticed until the posters were already out there, forcing the company to recall and reprint them.
