The History of Coca Cola
The drink was created by the pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886, during the prohibited alcohol era in 1885. Pemberton then had the brilliant idea to transform the existing popular coca wine invited by French chemist Angelo Mariani in the 1860s into a much cheaper and available version that did not need wine in the composition but carbonated water. Pemberton’s idea to a non-alcoholic version seemed reasonably appealing once added lots of sugar to replace the sweetness and rush feeling of the previous wine-coca formula which contained alcohol and cocaine. Pemberton’s first commercial product was a competing coca wine called Pemberton's French Wine Coca, but when Atlanta and Fulton County enacted Prohibition, Pemberton was switched its composition to a non-alcoholic version of his coca tonic, leading to the birth of Coca-Cola.
Advertising of Coca Cola and its Inspiration
Following the marketing success of the Vin Mariani tonic, Pemberton created a similar business model, the Pemberton Chemical Company, to promote his product Cola along with his new partners Ed Holland, Frank Robinson and David Doe. Robinson and Doe had previously been on the newspaper and printing business. Their skills helped to print the first Coca Cola marketing promotions in Holland’s family business located in 107 Marietta St., Downtown Atlanta. With the idea of targeting wealthy and respectful influential people just like Mariani’s strategy, Pemberton looked for respected establishments in Atlanta that could following those standards. Jacob’s Pharmacy represented the ideal market for his drink. Located in Peachtree Street, the place was always packed with well-dressed men and women, who represented the city’s elite. Coca Cola was initially marketed as a brain tonic and a cure for ailments, including opium habits and menopause positioned as a magic drink for a nation on edge after the long. A pharmaceutical trend from the late 1800s that promised medicine solutions for suffering people, consequences from the war and Reconstruction, seen in many of the first mural signs and advertisings with the slogan “relieves fatigue”.
The brand’s successful establishment is connected with the rebuilding of post-war Southern society, which created Coca-Cola’s iconic status. The innovative aspects of the company—its well-developed brand, advanced advertising, and the creation of modern jobs through the independent bottling process—made the emerging brand a local symbol of progress and a landmark in cities that had witnessed devastation before. Through the conscious decision to attach its name to every step of its evolution and growth, Coke quickly mastered what is now termed Brand Awareness, effectively elevating the product beyond a simple beverage to represent a state of mind and wellness. This powerful, positive image, conveying "a good feeling," was consistently utilized across all of Coca-Cola’s subsequent marketing campaigns. The future of the brand was secured when the genius marketer, Asa G. Candler, acquired the rights to Coca-Cola before Pemberton passed away. Candler's early and sustained investment in various advertising mediums established an influential brand identity that persists today.
Coca Cola had their name stamped in everything they could thanks to the marketing expertise of John Pembroke, Coke’s inventor, inspired by the European Vin Mariani successful strategies on Coca Wine.
Mural Signs of Coca Cola
Mural Signs of Coca Cola
Prior to the Internet and television, marketing options were limited, making signage an essential promotional tool for the ones who were passing by to advertise market their products, boost brand recognition, and identify storefronts. Mural signs, often referred to as "ghost signs" today because of its fading appearance, were a major and highly effective advertising medium from the late 19th century because they provided the best solution for reaching a growing and mobile population in an era of limited mass media. Before the radio and the invention of television, Coca Cola used mural signs to mass advertise their product either in fountains or bottles around cities, offering a large-scale visibility that print media couldn't match, especially for the non-reading or non-purchasing public.
Before the war, the Southern economy was largely agrarian. The post-war era required attracting Northern capital and national brands to modernize the region. Mural signs—especially for Coca-Cola, those mural creations were a visual declaration that Southern merchants were participating in the national consumer market. This signaled to investors and consumers alike that the South was open for business. Local merchants, often operating out of brick storefronts, needed to identify their businesses and advertise their stock. Mural signs, painted directly onto the most visible structures, were the primary method of storefront identification and promotion.
The importance of bottling companies for the brand
The importance of bottling companies for the brand
Each bottler was granted an exclusive, geographically defined territory. They were responsible for all operations within that zone, including production, distribution, and local marketing. While The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) handled large, national-level advertising (like magazine ads or celebrity endorsements), the bottlers were financially responsible for the local advertising needed to drive sales in their own towns and rural areas. The bottlers' delivery drivers (often traveling by horse and wagon or early truck) were constantly traversing their entire territory, reaching every corner store and general merchant. This provided the opportunity to commission or apply the signs directly to the point of sale—a form of direct-to-retail marketing. The bottler would typically secure permission from the local merchant (the store or pharmacy owner) to use the blank side of their brick building. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement: the store got a free, freshly painted wall that added to the character of the street, and the bottler got a giant, permanent advertisement. In the years leading up to 1910, the company and its local bottlers reportedly painted as many as 16,000 wall murals. This ensured that the recognizable Spencerian script and the name "Coca-Cola" were visible in every state and territory—from major cities to the smallest crossroads. This massive, consistent visual presence established Coca-Cola's identity long before the advent of television or modern mass digital media.
In the book The Coca-Cola Trail it’s possible to know every city where bottling companies were distributing those bottles of Coke, letting the community know the establishment had the soda available for them.
The distribution of Coca Cola in bottles that started between 1894 and 1899, made the bottling companies work independently from the Coca Cola Company distributing the soft drink initially around cities in the South of the United States, reaching even the smallest rural areas. The bottlers were responsible for most of the mural paintings because of the mobility distributors had while travelling deliver the drinks. They were responsible for marketing and brand-building in their territories passing on the culture of advertising storefronts. Although independently created, these murals helped establish a consistent national image and spread the Coca-Cola script and messaging.
What is a Ghost Sign?
What is a Ghost Sign?
They weren’t meant to last this long!
Ghost signs are considered historical original murals with signage, not restored, hand-painted that are mostly fading away, barely seen, present on old buildings with advertisements. Most of those stores aren't even there anymore, few of the products don't even exist but its signage survived time. Most of the signs were created in a heyday of the hand-painted wall advertising industry, which generally spanned from the 1880s to the 1950s or 1960s. The term “ghost signs" was officially introduced in 1989 by William Stage in his publication, Ghost Signs: Brick Wall Signs in America to describe faded brick wall advertisements. Ghost signs go through nature’s seasonal changes. They suffer severe heat, up to 100 years, of summers, hurricanes, rain and simply the hardness of the passing of time. To be consider a ghost sign, they must be out in the wild and had to be experienced the natural fading process of life. The sign needs to be over 50 years old, in its authentic form, hand-painted and not restored.
They were painted with an ink that involved lead and oil, that is no longer approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing, Urban Development (HUD) and The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) since 1978. But the signs on murals can still be seen in their fading ghostly format of what it was one day. The murals were often commissioned from local sign painters. While The Coca Cola Company provided guidelines and approved key slogans, the execution, style, and lettering detail often varied slightly based on the skill and local interpretation of the contracted artist, which adds to the unique, historical charm of the surviving "ghost signs" today.
The murals were not popular advertisement mediums after the 60s because they were being substituted by neon, outdoors, and the television but they created a mark in the 19th century and changed small town's landscape where lives saw the exciting shift to the modern world. The brand awareness that it caused was not even recognizable at the time as a campaign but is one of the strongest staples and statements a brand will ever achieve because of its lasting narrative. A strong visual connection that survived, tells a story and was transformed over time. From advertising to a sense of home, nostalgia that intertwines with people's lives and urban history. A change on its meaning.
Urban Archeology
Today, these historic Coca-Cola murals—painted between 1894 and the 1950s—are valued as more than advertising; they are a form of urban archaeology. The original creators could not have anticipated that these signs would survive as crucial remains of former urban commerce offering historical proof of human habitation and urban development.
Sometimes, as any other archaeology discovery, surprisingly you can find an old authentic sign that has not suffered the passing of time by simply breaking a wall while restoring your old hardware store or after a tornado destruction. A piece of urban archeology that explains the development of that exact place through time. This is what happened in 2014 at Smith T Hardware and Building Supply in Opelika, AL. Smith T was peeling away an old plaster from the walls of his building when he found a Coca Cola mural sign hidden behind plaster. Smith T's family hardware business, founded by his grandfather in the 1920s had an original sign that had been completely covered up by a few inches of plaster. "It's amazing that someone wanted it hidden," Smith T said, "because we think it's the best thing that could happen to this store." The sign brings elements that allows experts to date the art. In Smith T’s store, the sign has a bright green Coca-Cola scroll, and a "five cent" sign advertises the cost of a Coke from the early 1900s. A piece of history that is still living in its almost perfect format because of its hidden condition, not affected by the sun, rain and natural decaying process with time.
“It’s amazing that someone wanted it hidden because we think it’s the best thing that could happen to this store.”
Dating a Ghost Sign
Dating a Ghost Sign
A mural in Fort Gaines, GA, was approximately dated by analyzing its remaining colors. (Image courtesy of Coca-Cola United Bottling Co.)
There are not formal documents that prove the date of creation on most of the signs. But looking closely, it's possible to find elements that can help date those murals.
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To effectively date signs, specialists analyze a few elements such as slogans used to advertise the drink. It varies per period of time. For example, "Delicious and Refreshing" was created in 1904 and "The Pause that Refreshes" in 1929.
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Sometimes it’s possible to get close to a realistic date looking at black and white pictures from the Historical Societies or even taken by citizens. But if restorers are lucky, they can find pieces of ink remaining in the bricks, making it easier to determine the “era” it was painted. Colors help restorers to get a more realistic original color that's similar to the original sign.
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Elements such as mascots and bottles present in the design of the mural helps historians and restorers to date the mural. When those elements are spotted, it’s easier to trace the era of Coke it was created on.
The remaining colors helped to date this mural in Fort Gaines, GA, to the period of 1900–1930.
A ghost sign with Sprite Boy, a mascot used from 1942 to 1958 in Vicksburg, MS.
Remaining of “Refreshing” logo in Waverly, AL.
The Coca Cola Company used this logo between 1886 and 1904.
The first Coca Cola Mural Sign
Originally from Columbus, GA, Mr. John Permberton came to Atlanta to sell his newest creation in Jacob’s pharmacy in Downtown. Atlanta was the number one Southern city after the war’s devastation. It was where everybody with money was investing. Pemberton thought it would be his great shot of selling his syrup of Coca-Cola. What he didn't know was that Coca-Cola was going to become one of the most popular drinks of all time. Before Coke was sold in bottles, places like Young Brother Pharmacy in Cartersville, GA were selling the syrup in fountains. A rarity back in 1890s, due to its small distribution at the time. Making the Coca Cola mural sign in Cartersville, the oldest mural sign of Coca Cola, belonging to an era where Coke was distributed only in syrup, in its early stages of life.
THE NOSTALGIA ASPECT OF THE SIGNS
While the Coca-Cola murals were originally created as advertisements, their endurance has transformed them into something more complex: powerful cultural artifacts. Now faded and weathered, these silent "ghost signs" serve as visual reminders of the past. This section shifts focus from the signs’ commercial origins to their profound cultural afterlife. These faded signages on the brick walls of old towns symbolize a romanticized view of a simpler, pre-digital age of community and Main Street commerce.
Source: Blackburn Pictures Inc. authorized by author
The power of the ghost sign is a paradox: often overlooked in its natural state of decaying and neglect, this faded art reveals itself to be a potential and profound tool. It was once the very beginning of modern mass advertising, and now represents, in its silence, an old modern era that no longer exists. The shift from the signs as original commercial tools to its contemporary, decayed state is what creates its cultural resonance. Ghost signs have, with the passage of time, evolved into a distinct address for those who seek the fresh memories of a past that is no longer fresh. The murals offer evidence of the era's transition, marking the evolution from small-town business to powerful national brand identity.
This search for frozen moments that tell a story of classic Americana is a constant chase for those specialize in visual urban archaeology. I had the opportunity to talk to Charles Blackburn, a photographer specializing in urban decay and Americana art. Blackburn travels across the United States, documenting places that, despite their neglect, still carry the historical weight of a touched past, places that now looks like ghost towns and past memories, captured by him with incredible nostalgia and sensibility. I discovered his Instagram page some time ago and was immediately drawn to his ability to capture this feeling that mixes sentiments such as sadness, history and affection. In our conversation, Blackburn explain the connection between his own story to his art, as Charles shared his thoughts:
“I’ve been drawn to Coca-Cola signs ever since I was a kid, riding in the back of my parents’ car on road trips. There’s something hard to explain about them — the way they mark a place, bold and bright, standing out in landscapes that often feel empty or forgotten. To me, these old ghost signs are quiet storytellers from another time, reminders of when hand-painted advertising was part of everyday life. Then there’s the question of “Coke Town” versus “Pepsi Town,” the regional patterns of advertising, which adds another layer of history and context. In my work, I try not only to document that history but also to create compositions that might one day be seen as art. Over time, these commercial signs have transformed into something more — unintentional beauty, a glimpse of nostalgia, and a reflection of memory and the passage of time.”
— Charles Blackburn
Photographer of Urban Archeology and Americana Art
Sign Painters
The Wall Dogs
Wall dogs were commercial artists who specialized in painting advertisements hired by companies to hand-painted advertisements directly onto the blank brick walls of outside buildings. They were essentially high-altitude muralists with precarious platforms called "roof swings" or scaffolding, often dangling dozens of feet in the air while maneuvering heavy brushes, paint pots, and layout tools.
They were experts at scaling up small design drawings to cover huge, irregular surfaces like brick walls, ensuring the lettering and imagery looked correct despite the wall's imperfections. They often used techniques like gridding or pouncing (perforating a pattern onto paper and then tapping charcoal dust through the holes) to accurately transfer the design outlines to the wall.
They mixed their own durable, oil-based, lead-heavy paints (which is partly why the signs lasted so long) to achieve specific colors and textures. Companies such as Worley and Doyle provided those services in Sponake, WA, represented on their advertisement that illustrates this secttion. The name "wall dog" is thought to have originated for two main reasons, both referencing their difficult work conditions:
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They were known for working long, hard hours in all weather conditions—from the sweltering heat of summer to the freezing cold of winter—to finish a job quickly.
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To work safely high above the ground, they were literally chained or tethered to the building, much like a dog on a leash.
I was lucky to find a conversation between Bill, a former Wall Dog from Philadelphia and Living Gold Press in their website. Bill explained the journalist the process of an old-school wall dog back in the day:
“My family goes back quite a way as painters. My great grandfather was a house painter, and I still have packets of different colors with how to mix the white lead, linseed oil, dryers and pigment to attain colors. The old sign painters did the same. That’s why the signs still show after all these years. We worked where the signs took us, whether twenty stories in the air or six feet off the ground. Rain, snow or sunshine never seemed to be a factor, just get the job done. The knowledge we learned in the business was handed down through generations, one sign man to another. Layout, lettering skills, font types and art skill were just a few of the factors that made a good sign person. Some of the best artists and advertising people have been sign people; we were called upon to create and execute the best advertisement possible for the client. Computers have taken the place of many hand-painted signs, but they are only as good as the person behind the keys. Believe me, us old sign people have seen some very bad advertising out there. I’ll bet you won’t look at the old signs quite the same again; there’s a human factor there that will never be seen again. ”
I had the opportunity to talk to a modern-age mural sign painter, Skippy Bondur, who specializes in mural sign restoration. Skippy is from Panama City, FL, and has restored a mural in his own hometown but he also travels around the South restoring signs in states such as Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. He's a part of the Mural Program, promoted by Coca Cola United, the third largest bottling company in the United States. The program was created by Mr. Andy Britton, United's Director of Public Affairs and Communications with the goal of restoring historic Coca Cola ghost signs. In an interview, Skippy and I discussed the process of his efforts to bring those historic pieces back to life.
RESTAURATION OF GHOST SIGNS
Restoring these mural signs moved beyond simple commercial advertising, establishing them instead as meaningful touchstones for re-engaging with and occupying local spaces. This historical significance makes the area attractive for economic development. When a sign is restored, it contributes to residents' civic pride and their feeling of being part of his community. To me, ghost signs were always something much more than advertisement. Besides the fact that they've survived time, a ghost sign tells a story, and while few people are paying attention to them, companies such as Coca-Cola United Bottling Co. are ensuring those murals brought back to life through the process of restoration.
Enjoy a conversation with Mr. Andy Britton, the Director of Public Affairs and Communications of Coca Cola United Bottling Co., and his efforts to restore historic signs of Coca Cola in the South of the United States.
The Bottling Companies’ importance on Coca Cola Mural Signs and United's restoration Mural Program
Mr. Britton runs the Mural Program dedicated to restoring Coca-Cola ghost signs across the Southern United States focusing on the restoration of existing, historic signage. The program does not create new murals. He is confident that these restored signs breathe new life into communities, cultivating belonging where spaces were previously overlooked, resulting in a booost to local commerce.
For the restoration event, Mr. Britton ensures a celebration by bringing the official Coca-Cola Polar Bear, providing Coca-Cola products, and including key figures such as mayors, local business owners, and sometimes even the original "wall dog" (sign painter) to witness the transformation. Most importantly, the company invites the community's elders, whose personal stories are closely intertwined with the history of the signs.
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After
Mr. Britton's Mural Program: unveiling a restored mural in Quincy, FL.
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After
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After
A contemporary
touch
The restored mural brings history back to life, but it also introduces a new concept: a hashtag paired with the city's location is the modern marker used to represent current history and engage with the younger crowd and maintain its relevancy.
After restoring a mural to its original appearance, Mr. Britton and Skippy decided to add a circle featuring the Coca-Cola logo and a hashtag—such as #CokeDowntown, creating what they call a "selfie-mural." This design includes the city's name, being a reminder that you are part of something bigger, a movement signifying that the brand remains timeless, relevant, and eager to be a part of your life just like back in time for your grandparents.
Its aesthetic quality and typical downtown location allow the younger generations to grow up with the old sign but also, with something from their generation so they can connect organically. Citizen's don't a try to remember these signs, they know it exists, they have always been around, and generations to come will as well, as long as historians, community and programs such as the Mural Program by United keep making those efforts to make this relevant local history alive.
Community Engagement
Community Engagement
While many other brands once created signs to advertise their products, restoring its ghost signs remains highly relevant for Coca-Cola. This effort allows the company to re-engage people, affirm that their cities matter, and thank them for preserving the signs without defacing or removing them.
Coca-Cola holds value because the brand, after 125 years, is still relevant, still going strong, and still cares about the community. Their restoration effort is a way of thanking people for letting the brand be a part of their lives for so many generations. For many, the brand is tied to childhood memories, family gatherings, and community events. A couple choosing a Coca-Cola sign for wedding pictures shares a piece of American history that feels comforting and familiar.
