371. 1950s,COKE 6-BOTTLE ALUMINUM CARRIER

For quick pick-ups, pick up a couple of Cokes in a nifty 6-bottle aluminum carrier from the 50s. Found in an local online ad, the Coke bottle carrier has a stamped  "Drink Coca Cola" graphics on the body with a wooden handle.

This is a rarely-seen U.S. made version as the most common carriers available are all-aluminum with a wire handle. Vintage aqua Coke bottles are shown snuggly fitted into this portable midcentury Coca Cola relic-- a great memento of those times when all it took was a Coke to refresh you best!

242. A Case in Point: 50s COKE ALUMINUM CASE

One of my earliest Coca Cola collectibles is this stamped aluminum carrying case that can hold 24 bottles. I remember picking this up from good old Makati Cinema Square, which, back in the '80s , was  a favorite hunting ground for all things old, vintage and collectible. I've seen a few aluminum cases here in the Philippines; I don't think these were produced locally--local crates were of wood until the 70s, when plastic replaced them. The crate is divided into niches by means of metal rods that are covered in rubber. I just checked ebay and currently there's one similar to this priced at $96.00--with an hour to go before the end of the auction. Past examples were sold for $70 plus. As you can see, this aluminum crate is a nifty way to display my collection of vintage Coke bottles. What a way to "open happiness!"

225. Advertique: COKE "LEYTE" WARTIME AD

I found this full page, full color ad of Coca-Cola with a WWII theme in a U.S. flea market. It's a fascinating piece of ephemera, blending product sell with a bit of world history. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that depicts a Philippine scene---with reference to MacArthur's place of return, hence the headline: .."Yank friendliness comes back to Leyte".

This particular ad was part of a post-War advertising campaign mounted by Coke in 1945, as the world prepared to put the war behind and move forward. Similar ads--both in color and black and white--featured scenes from countries such as Brussels, France and Admiralty Island.

The artwork for the Philippine realistically depicts a village with nipa huts, with two Pinoy husband-and-wife vendors giving out Coke to their amiable "amigos'. "Ice-cold Coca-Cola has become a symbol of goodwill--and everyday example of how Yankee friendliness follows the flag around the globe"--so goes the copy. Wartime Coke ads are very collectible, redefining the brand role in difficult, critical times by associating the product beyond refreshment, in this case, elevating the soda as a symbol of patriotism and American international goodwill.

166. COKE COOLER RADIO is it!

It's the real thing!
A hard-to-find Coca Cola radio set from the '50s--and made in the Philippines! This was perhaps a store giveaway or a premium item that one could win in a past Coke promo. This is a working model, manufactured by Maharlika Radio, and is made from molded wood, that looks like 'lawanit'. This cool Coke Cooler Radio used to have non-working radio glass bulbs, but I have since had it 'transistorized', so it works just as fine. Wouldn't it be fun and creepy if it only aired 1950s programs like "Tayo'y Mag-Aliw", "Lux Hour" or "Reyna ng Vicks"?

153. SANTA CLAUS COKE ADS

The first image we have of Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, shows the saint dressed in a bishop's miter and robe, with a kindly, bearded face. The Dutch portrayed their Sinterklaas, the giver of gifts, as a tall and reedy person in a red coat. It took the illustrator Thomas Nast to give St. Nick a rounder frame and a cheerier expression. He made St. Nick even more believable by giving him a workshop and the task of keeping an eye on children's behavior. He also gave him a permanent address: the North Pole!

America further built on this image in the 19th century by picturing him as a jolly gentleman, with white hair, a moustache and a long beard.He acquired a chubbier face and a ruddier complexion. The final milepost in the development of his image came from The Coca Cola Bottling Company when they used Santa for their ad campaign. Their artist, Haddon Sundblom, created an adult who ehshrined Nast's Santa's face and costume. The 1950s campaign continued for more than 40 years and this archetypal Santa image has been perpetuated and recognized as the universally accepted image of Santa Claus.

These two full-color Christmas Coca-Cola ads are from the back pages of National Geographic Magazine from the 1950s, found locally.

75. COCA-COLA COOLER COIN BANK

Coca Cola made a lot of these tin coin banks in the shape of the classic red Coca Cola cooler as advertising premiums. These proved to be very popular, as for many years, these coin banks were updated and re-issued. This example dates from the 1950s and has better details than later editions. For instance, the shape is very faithful to the traditional Coca Cola cooler, with rounded corners, deeper red paint and finer lettering (later 1970s coin banks had sharper corners, paler red painting. Indeed, savings go better with Coca Cola!

65. A Case in Point: MINIATURE COKE CASES

These small made-in-the-Philippines Coca-Cola cases were popular collectibles in the 1950s--the yellow painted wooden divided cases date them to that period. Although they look like salesman's samples, they were treated as miniature curio items or even as toys, to be displayed and kept in glass cabinets. Missing are the small, clear Coca Cola bottles (24 to a case) complete with embossed logos and tin crowns, mini replicas of the classic bottle. Finding an intact set is very difficult these days, as bottles were sold separately (I only have two bottles). If found complete, the whole caboodle would be worth about Php3,500. This slightly damaged pair were found at the annual Greenhills collectibles fair, priced at Php500 each (see the price sticker peeking from the case?). But since it was the last day of the evnt, I got the two for half the price. Now if I could only find more Coca Cola bottles...

49. AN UN-SEXY COKE BOTTLE

In the 60s, "Coca Cola Body" was used to describe a lady with a sexy, hourglass figure, in reference to the familiar shape of the Coke bottle. But early 1900s Coca Cola bottles actually had straight sides, as this ca. 1908 American example shows, bought from a Cebu collector. The color, too, is aqua, and the brand font seems cruder than the more flowing typeface used today. But whether sexy or straight-sided, vintage Coke bottles are one of the hottest collectibles in the market today--the pasue that continues to refresh!

31. Here's the Real Thing: NORA AUNOR FOR COCA COLA

Ate Guy!!!!! At her peak, Nora Aunor--short, squat, brown but gifted with a golden voice that sold records, drew diehard fans and sold million pesos worth of products. Immediately, advertisers saw her kaching!kaching! potential. Cocal-Cola capitalized on her pulling power by enlisting her as their endorser. She starred in a series of Coke commercials in the 70s, and collateral materials such as this photo of the new Coca Cola girl were given away by the hundreds of thousands. (But mine has an authentic personalized autograph!). I haven't seen La Aunor in a looonggg, loooonnggg while. She's U.S. based now and has not been home for years. Her legions of fans are hoping for a Philippine comeback, but so far..."walang himalaaaaaahhhh!!".

8. HAVE A COKE AND A TRAY!

They don't serve Coke on trays anymore.

But back in the '50s, Coke in glasses was served at soda parlors on colorful metal trays such as this original "Menu Girl" tray. Even the ad slogans are on the rim of this tray: Thirst knows No Season and Have a Coke. Gives you something to read while waiting to make your move on your date. Tray measures 10-1/2" x 13-1/4". The slight paint chip and normal wear do not detract from the vibrant charm of this tray which I picked up in a Chatuchak collectible shop in Bangkok. Now how do you say "Have a Coke and a smile" in Thai? Hmmm..