Honeymoon Photos 2: The World of Coca-Cola

[woodwardiocom]

We arrived in Atlanta on Monday the 27th, with a few days to kill before Dragon*Con. On Tuesday, we took in the World of Coca-Cola museum. While nifty in many ways, it was also kinda scary in its nigh-religious worship of a particular flavor of fizzy sugar water. Coke is a fascinating phenomenon, but it's not the Blood of Christ. (I hope.)

There were three video "experiences" we saw. The first was a fantasy about what goes on inside a Coke machine when you put in your quarters. Apparently it involves a sylvan paradise, lots of catapults, and penguins with nipples. (That last was genuinely weird.) The second was a 3-D ride (with water spritzers) about the quest for the secret ingredient, involving a mad scientist and his perky assistant. No penguin nipples, just schmaltz.

The third was the best, and consisted of classic Coke commercials from the past century and around the world. I remember the Mean Joe Green one and the "Teach the World to Sing" one fondly, and some of the non-American ones were tres nifty.

Also, we got hit on as a target demographic again, and were invited to do a quick taste test of some new kinds of bottled water. And we got coupons for our time and trouble. (I used mine to pick up a Coke bottle opener, Bey got a T-shirt.)




buxom_bey catches a drink with John Stith Pemberton, inventor of Coca-Cola.


There are six Norman Rockwell paintings that include a bottle of Coke, and the Coca-Cola company owns two. Here's one.


Raquel Welch in a Coke ad, and (to the right) some of the actual jewelry she wore.


Victorian-era advertisements.


A striking Vienna Art plate, with no Coke logo on the front.


A beautifully restored 1940s delivery truck from Buenos Aires.


A collection of old bottles.


Detail view.


A reproduction of the patent for the distinctive bottle shape.


Rowr!


A few parts of the in-house bottling plant, which actually produces bottles to be given away outside the gift shop. (We have a couple, though we drank the Coke.)






Beneath this looming sign, we did the taste test.




Santa endorses Coke for good little boys and girls.


A harp in the shape of Coke bottles.


100% recycled aluminum.


Coke is totally Airwolf.


The tasting center let you sample a few dozen different Coke products from around the world, some of which were tasty, and one of which (named Lancaster or Nantucket or something) was truly vile.


From within the gift shop, a view of the corporate headquarters to the north.

Oh, and I know you're all looking forward to the Dragon*Con costume pics, so . . .

. . . here's one to tide you over.

Comments

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Did you try the italian coke product? I can't remember the name, but it was labeled a "bitter aperitif" (ie, as opposed to an "orange soda" or something). That was some nasty shit.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

It actually is *called* Bitter Apertif at the Coke museum; though if I recall in Italy it's marketed under the brand name 'Beverly' for some no doubt ungodly reason. It's not always there (they rotate the flavours in and out), but it's there a lot (when I lived in Atlanta I went to the Muesum almost monthly; I worked across the street from it and friends who worked at Coke supplied me with passes constantly).

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

"Beverly", yes, that's the vile one. We actually had fun standing around watching people try it and recoil in horror.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I was never in all honesty, able to recommend it to my friends when I went there with them. About all I could come up with was, "Well, I won't stop you." But I had no problems watching complete strangers encounter the awfulness of it.

[drwex]

It's neat that you got pix. The one time I was there it was unplanned and I had no camera with me. it was fun seeing some of the things I remembered in your photos.

[fotofile2002.livejournal.com]

Italians really like bitter drinks.