December 8,2011
For the First Time Vault Containing Company's Most Valuable Trade Secret On Public Display
It hasn't been moved in 86 years, but today the secret is out -- The Coca-Cola Company has moved the 125-year-old secret formula for Coca-Cola to a new home at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. As the capstone to the 125th anniversary year of Coca-Cola, the Company is sharing the rich history and timeless appeal of its secret formula in a brand new exhibit where visitors can experience the world's most recognized brand like never before.
For the first time in history, the vault containing the secret formula will be visible to the public in a permanent exhibit titled The Vault of the Secret Formula, opening today at the World of Coca-Cola.
"This is a special day in Coca-Cola history, and the perfect culmination to our 125 th anniversary celebrations this year," said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. "By sharing this secret formula experience with our consumers, we celebrate both the rich history of the brand's beginnings and the moments of refreshment and happiness to come for future generations . This is yet another way we are recognizing and thanking everyone around the world who has made the Coca-Cola brand what it is today."
The Company transferred the secret formula to the World of Coca-Cola from a vault at SunTrust Bank in downtown Atlanta where it had been housed since 1925.
"The move of the Coca-Cola secret formula is a historic moment for the Company," said Phil Mooney, Director of Archives, The Coca-Cola Company. "The Company has always gone to great lengths to protect it and now by safeguarding it at the World of Coca-Cola, we can share its legendary legacy with people around the world."
After Dr. John S. Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886, the formula was kept a close secret, only shared with a small group and not written down. In 1891, Asa Candler became the sole proprietor of Coca-Cola after purchasing the rights to the business. Then, in 1919, Ernest Woodruff and a group of investors purchased the Company from Candler and his family. To finance the purchase Woodruff arranged a loan and as collateral he provided documentation of the formula by asking Candler's son to commit the formula to paper. This was placed in a vault in the Guaranty Bank in New York until the loan was repaid in 1925. At that point, Woodruff reclaimed the secret formula and returned it to Atlanta and placed it in the Trust Company Bank, now SunTrust, where it remained until its recent move to the World of Coca-Cola.
Guests to the World of Coca-Cola can feel closer than ever before to the secret formula. At The Vault of the Secret Formula exhibit, visitors will learn about the most closely guarded trade secret in history through an immersive multimedia experience that celebrates the rich history, mythology and intrigue around the secret formula.
While The Coca-Cola Company started with this secret formula 125 years ago, the secret to its success has grown far beyond the formula today.
