Did You Hear About The Secret Formula for Coca-Cola?

Program Summary:

The 1919 sale of The Coca-Cola Company included the beverage formula. Imposters and con artists sold numerous fake formulas purported to be the Real Thing. As new owner, Robert Woodruff decided to acknowledge the public fascination about the formula. He hired Pinkerton Guards to transport the formula from New York (where it was serving as collateral for a sugar loan) and place it in a Trust Company (now SunTrust) Bank vault in downtown Atlanta. He also implemented several security measures (a highly restricted number of employees know it, access only with board approval, etc.)

Results:
1. Actual results (# impressions, etc.) don't exist, but U.S. media widely reported the transfer and cloak and dagger measures for over a week. Departure and arrival of the Pinkerton train was front page news in dozens of papers and gazettes.

2. Woodruff's effort created an urban legend that generates buzz even today. Who knows the secret formula? How many? Can more than two of them travel together? Is it in a book? A red folder? Speculation, accurate or not, abounds. As evidence, last month numerous media sources from around the world asked Company archivists about the secret formula when we announced the opening date for the new World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.

Credit Information
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Client: The Coca-Cola Company
Agency: N/A
Budget: N/A
Date of Campaign: 1920 - today