Exhibiting Coca-Cola at universal exhibitions

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, I will focus on a specific product that has been present in universal exhibitions since the 1930s: Coca-Cola. I will address the evolution of promotional narratives associated with the brand by examining the Coca-Cola exhibits in the world’s fairs from 1933 to 2015. The case of Coca-Cola is itself interesting insofar as it illustrates a number of tendencies since the mid-twentieth century in both the form and content of brand narratives. I will show how these narratives exemplify different versions of “the global” by highlighting industrial production in the 1930’s, international distribution and consumption in Brussels 1958 and New York 1964/65, and sustainable development as well as individual consumer experience in Shanghai 2010 and Milan 2015.