Coca-Cola and the Evolution of Advertising. Christened Coca-Cola by Pemberton’s accountant, the bookkeeper spelled out the product’s name in his distinctive script, which remains an integral part of the brand to this day. (heritage.coca-cola.com)Christened Coca-Cola by Pemberton’s accountant, the bookkeeper spelled out the product’s name in his distinctive script, which remains an integral part of the brand to this day. (heritage.coca-cola.com) Bought by local tycoon Asa Candler in 1886, the formula was bottled and marketed across the nation.  .Early ads featured ladies and children to an inordinate degree.  

The subjects were bright-eyed and cherub-cheeked, conservative images even for the time. The first “celebrity spokesperson” was a Boston actress named Hilda Clark. This is an early example of the use of famous persons as company spokespeople (http://www.dirjournal.com). Aside from their visual components, each ad also touted the merits of the drink. The word that appeared over and over was “refreshed.”  

The website  http://www.dirjournal.comhas a display of Coke images over the years that show this. An ad from the 1890s features both a grown man and a young boy sipping the soft drink at a lunch counter. Beneath this are the words “It satisfies the thirsty and helps the weary.” A second one from the same era shows gaily dressed women at a restaurant table. On a sign behind them, the message “Coca-Cola revives and sustains” is presented.  

Developing this theme, later advertisements urged drinkers to “shop refreshed,” “lunch refreshed,” and “drive refreshed.” Appeals to the drink’s invigorating power are likely references to its high caffeine content. This is known in marketing circles as “transformational appeal.” (Advertising appeal)  .The underlying message is that using the promoted product will effect positive change in the consumer. This same strategy used today in commercials for makeup, skin care products, and home exercise equipment. In the late 1800s, the pitch of choice for Coca-Cola is that it would transform weary, worn out people into ones bursting with vigor and pep.