As restaurants sought to enhance their customer experience, they turned to vintage Coca-Cola menu boards to capture the essence of this iconic brand. The 1970s were a golden age for American diners. Stainless steel counters, jukeboxes humming Fleetwood Mac, and families gathering around orange vinyl booths defined an era. But a quiet revolution was happening on the walls of these establishments, led by Coca-Cola. Enter the Marketeer Menu Boards, Coca-Cola’s mid-1970s innovation that promised versatility, style, and increased sales for restaurants of all sizes and transformed diner menus forever.

Today’s Special: Versatile Menu Boards

Coca-Cola’s trade catalog from the era proudly declared:

“Today’s Special: Versatile Menu Boards”

These were more than just static signs. Designed with interchangeable panels and crisp typography, they allowed restaurateurs to update menus daily, without needing a new board.

The Shape of Things to Come

Illustrations in the catalog showed families enjoying burgers and fries under gleaming white menu boards with prices like:

• Jumbo Burger – 90¢
• Cheeseburger – $1.10
• French Fries – 30¢

The Coca-Cola logo, in its bold red script, anchored every board, linking quality beverages to hearty meals.

Customized Boards to Reflect Personality

Themed frames gave eateries personality:

• 🐮 Cow-shaped boards for steakhouses
• 🏖️ Lighthouse motifs for coastal diners
• 🎓 Graduation caps for college cafés
• 🤠 Covered wagons for western BBQ joints

These designs weren’t just functional, they were marketing tools.

Quick Promotions, Big Returns

With tear-sheet boards and grease-pencil inserts, specials could be written and erased daily. A few of the combos featured:

• 🍗 Fried Chicken & Coke
• 🌮 Tacos & Coke
• 🍔 Patty Melt & Coke

Coca-Cola wasn’t just selling soda; they were selling higher margins and a branded experience.

Pictorial Inserts: Selling the Meal With the Drink

High-quality photo inserts showed:

• Golden fried chicken next to an ice-cold Coke.
• Pepperoni pizza paired with Coca-Cola.
• Burgers, fries, and paper Coke cups under bright diner lights.

These inserts helped even small diners look as professional as rising fast-food chains.

A Cultural Snapshot: Diners and Drive-Ins in the 1970s

Molded chairs, chrome soda fountains, paper hats, these visuals captured more than menus. They documented an era of community, affordability, and Americana, where a family meal out cost under $5.

Why the Mid-to-Late 1970s?

“Coke adds life” slogan debuted in 1976.

• TAB and Fanta branding mirror Coca-Cola’s 70s product lineup.
• Prices match pre-inflation dining costs.
• Soft watercolor illustrations echo 1970s advertising styles.

By 1982, digital menus and Diet Coke would usher in a new era. But in these pages, Coca-Cola reigned supreme.

Legacy of the Marketeer Menu Boards

Today, surviving examples of these boards are rare collectibles. Yet their influence lives on in digital menu systems and co-branded promotions worldwide.

Final Reflection: Today’s Special Forever

The Marketeer Menu Boards remind us of an age where even the simplest diner could feel modern, professional, and enticing, thanks to Coca-Cola.

“Today’s Special isn’t just on the plate, it’s on the wall, sparking cravings and sealing the deal with a Coca-Cola.”

Learn More About the Company Brand Featured in this Promotion

The Coca-Cola Company

The Cavalier Corporation had a long-standing history of providing high-quality vending solutions that catered to various beverage markets. Their commitment to innovation and excellence positioned them as a leader in the cooler industry.

The Coca-Cola Company, known for its iconic branding and global reach, has maintained a significant presence in the beverage industry. Their partnership with manufacturers like Cavalier ensured that customers received quality products that aligned with the Coca-Cola brand’s high standards.

Marrying the two together, it made sense that in April 1958, the Cavalier Corporation proudly unveiled a revolutionary series of nine coolers and merchandising vendors specifically designed for Coca-Cola. While a few upright models from this new series were initially released in 1957, this official launch marked the first comprehensive lineup offered by the company.

Each model represented a blend of style and functionality, delivering on the promise of quality that Cavalier was known for.

The new coolers featured a distinctive white top on the round-top upright models, a design that not only caught the eye but also set a new standard in cooler aesthetics. As part of the launch campaign, the company implemented four promotional ads from 1958 to 1959, showcased in multiple editions of The Coca-Cola Bottler magazine, the authoritative publication for Coca-Cola bottlers.

This marketing strategy aimed to highlight the innovative features and quality of the coolers while reinforcing brand loyalty among Coca-Cola distributors and vendors.

A Complete Line of Quality Coca-Cola Coolers

The inaugural ad campaign commenced in April 1958, prominently featured in The Coca-Cola Bottler magazine. This advertisement introduced an exciting new product line of high-quality coolers, designed to enhance sales for dealers, bottlers, and installation sites.

The cooler lineup included six upright round-top models adorned with fresh white top trim, two striking red and white floor models, and the portable “Carry-Cooler Junior,” which was perfect for on-the-go use. Each cooler was backed by a robust five-year warranty, showcasing the company’s commitment to quality and reliability.

The advertisement emphasized the coolers’ ability to deliver superior service to locations, their potential to significantly boost Coca-Cola sales, and the peace of mind provided by the five-year warranty. This influential advertisement was also reprinted in the June edition of The Coca-Cola Bottler, ensuring widespread visibility.

Have a Coke in Exclusive Point-of-Purchase Merchandising on Cavalier Select Models

As the calendar turned to 1959, the company reintroduced their advertisement in the February issue of The Coca-Cola Bottler magazine. This strategic move aimed to solidify their branding message, prominently featuring the renowned “Have a Coke” dial at the top of the advertisement.

This innovative feature was included in five new cooler models, designed to illuminate upon the insertion of a coin, thereby attracting the attention of consumers and enhancing the vending experience. The dial not only served as a functional element but also became a symbol of the Coca-Cola brand’s commitment to quality service.

Proven Trouble-Free

Following a successful introduction over a year earlier, the company was able to showcase in their advertisements how two of the standout models in the new product line, the CS-72 and the CS-96, had proven to be trouble-free for bottlers and retail outlets where they had been installed.

These models were highlighted for their reliability and ease of use, which significantly contributed to the positive brand perception among users. This advertisement served as the final promotion for 1959 before the company shifted their focus to the advertising of their new 1960 product line, which exclusively featured upright Coca-Cola coolers with a modern square top design.

Products Featured in the Point-of-Purchase Merchandising Product Line

The product line and corresponding advertisements prominently featured nine new coolers, each designed to dispense or store Coca-Cola bottles effectively. Each model in this series was crafted with the intention of enhancing the customer experience while ensuring optimal storage solutions for Coca-Cola products.

These innovative coolers not only boasted aesthetic appeal but also functionality that catered to the needs of both users and vendors.

• The CS-72 Selective Merchandising Vendor with the “Have a Coke” emblem that flashes when a coin is deposited and vended 72 bottles while pre-cooling 17 bottles
• The CS-96 Selective Merchandising Vendor with the “Have a Coke” emblem that flashes when a coin is deposited and vended 96 bottles while pre-cooling 17 bottles
• The CS-124 Selective Merchandising Vendor with the “Have a Coke” emblem that flashes when a coin is deposited and vended 124 bottles
• The CGD-C Horizontal Giant Dry Cooler that held 22 cases of Coca-Cola
• The Carry Cooler Senior Portable Cooler that held 30 bottles of Coca-Cola
• The CMD-C Horizontal Master Dry Cooler that held 12 cases of Coca-Cola
• The C-51 Vendor that vended 51 bottles while pre-cooling 50 bottles
• The C-124 Merchandising Vendor with the “Have a Coke” emblem that flashes when a coin is deposited and vended 124 bottles
• The C-144 Merchandising Vendor that vended 144 bottles

Each cooler in this innovative lineup was engineered with unique features tailored to meet diverse consumer needs. For example, the CS-72 Selective Merchandising Vendor was designed to vend 72 bottles while pre-cooling an additional 17 bottles, ensuring that beverages were always served at the optimal temperature. Meanwhile, the CS-96 variant not only held a similar capacity but also enhanced user interaction with its flashing “Have a Coke” emblem, which illuminated when a coin was deposited, making the vending experience more engaging. Similarly, the CS-124 model was crafted to vend 124 bottles, showcasing the company’s commitment to providing solutions that catered to different scales of operation.

Moreover, the CGD-C Horizontal Giant Dry Cooler held an impressive 22 cases of Coca-Cola, making it an ideal solution for high-demand locations. Its spacious interior combined with energy-efficient cooling technology provided not only convenience but also cost-effectiveness.

For more portable needs, the Carry Cooler Senior Portable Cooler could hold up to 30 bottles of Coca-Cola, making it a favorite for events and outdoor gatherings.

The CMD-C Horizontal Master Dry Cooler, designed to hold 12 cases of Coca-Cola, exemplified the versatility of the product lineup. Its design allowed for easy access while maintaining optimal cooling conditions, ensuring that Coca-Cola products were always ready to serve.

The C-51 Vendor, capable of vending 51 bottles while pre-cooling 50, showcased the company’s attention to detail and commitment to usability.

On the other hand, the C-124 Merchandising Vendor, with its eye-catching “Have a Coke” emblem, was designed to vend 124 bottles efficiently, further enhancing the point-of-sale experience for retailers.

Lastly, the C-144 Merchandising Vendor, which vended 144 bottles, rounded out the lineup with its robust design and capacity.

Learn More About the Manufacturer and the Company Brand Featured in This Promotion

For more information about their extensive product range, visit Cavalier Corporation.

To learn more about their history and product offerings, visit The Coca-Cola Company.