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

In August of 1959, the Outdoor Advertising Incorporated (OAI) company released its latest promotion for the Fall of 1959. This promotion aimed to promote Coca-Cola through outdoor advertising and billboards featuring the iconic 1959 Coke Billboards.

The promotion was called Star Performers Build Sales for You. It highlighted that in the Fall of 1959, the bright lights of the entertainment industry and outdoor advertising would team up as the McGuire Sisters to sell Coca-Cola to America.

By blending the 3 McGuire Sisters singers with the selling power of outdoor advertising, the Coca-Cola Company aimed to create a powerful combination for their outdoor posters.

Posters that Build Sales of Coca-Cola

The 1959 Coke Billboards became a symbol of the advertising strategies employed by Coca-Cola to capture the attention of consumers and create lasting impressions.

The promotion was targeted at Coca-Cola bottlers. An introduction to the promotion detailed the history of Coca-Cola using outdoor poster advertising.

Because their audience grows automatically with population increases, 24-sheet posters are uniquely inexpensive compared to other media.

In 1925, The Coca-Cola Company first offered Bottlers of Coca-Cola a chance to participate in an advertising medium. This medium consisted of 24-sheet posters, with total expenditure amounting to $453,886.76. This offer has never been withdrawn, and spending grew to $3,372,412.19 by 1958.

This history represents the most consistent use of any advertising medium, with expenses shared between The Coca-Cola Company and the Bottlers of Coca-Cola.

There must be some kind of reason for such consistency, and there was. Posters have proven to be unique in several respects and have successfully served Coca-Cola.

For instance, they are the only medium that allows advertisers to capture consumer attention while they move from inside their homes to the point-of-sale.

Their size gives advertisers like The Coca-Cola Company a highly desirable dominance and prestige. Their distribution allows the message to stay with consumers while they move about outdoors.

Additionally, their use of full-color printing presents the product in a realistic and appetizing manner.

The Outdoor Advertising Incorporated company felt that the decade of the fabulous 1960s would see disposable income growing by leaps and bounds and advertising’s responsibility to secure a fair share for Coca-Cola becoming increasingly heavy. Under such circumstances, they felt that any advertiser would find themselves particularly obligated to look at the poster medium as not only one of the most effective media but, in all probability, the most economical one for doing this kind of job.

The Outdoor Advertising Incorporated company anticipated that the fabulous 1960s would see disposable income growing significantly. They believed advertising’s responsibility to secure a fair share for Coca-Cola would become increasingly critical.

Under such circumstances, they felt any advertiser would find themselves particularly obligated to consider the poster medium as one of the most effective and economical options for this task.

All Year Long Around the Clock Star Performers Sell for You

To encourage Coca-Cola bottlers to purchase the outdoor billboards in this promotion, the Outdoor Advertising Incorporated company used taglines like:

• “Working for you day and night”
• “Day after day, 30 days a month, outdoor posters are always on the job”
• “Outdoor advertising is the selling link between home and store”

Within these taglines, they showcased six new outdoor billboards.

Outdoor Posters Create Top Level Readership

To further support why Coca-Cola bottlers should purchase the billboards in the “Star Performers Build Sales for You” promotion, information on outdoor readership was provided. This information demonstrated the benefits of outdoor performance.

Posters Advertising Coca-Cola Outscored Other Posters by 32% in First Half of 1959

To further support why Coca-Cola bottlers should purchase the billboards in the promotion, information regarding readership impact and depth of impression was presented.

Posters with Real Consumer Impact – The 1959 Line Up

The following outdoor poster billboards were used in this promotion:

• The Be Really Refreshed Have a Coke outdoor advertising billboard featured a bottle of Coca-Cola sitting in a field of flowers with a trademark Coca-Cola disc in the lower right corner.
• The Be Really Refreshed outdoor advertising billboard featured a woman with a brown and pink hat being handed a regular size bottle of Coca-Cola with a trademark Coca-Cola disc in the lower right corner.
• The Keeps you Rolling outdoor advertising billboard featured a man and woman at an ice skating rink drinking glasses of Coca-Cola next to a fountain dispenser.
• The Be Really Refreshed Ice Cold Coke outdoor advertising billboard featured a man and woman on a boat with a trademark Coca-Cola disc in the lower right corner.
• The Love that Coke outdoor advertising billboard featured a man and woman drinking a bottle of Coca-Cola over a heart-shaped background with a trademark Coca-Cola disc in the lower right corner.
• The Be Really Refreshed King Size Too outdoor advertising billboard featured a the same woman with a brown and pink hat being handed a King size bottle of Coca-Cola with a trademark Coca-Cola disc in the lower right corner.
• The McGuire Sisters Sing for Coke outdoor advertising billboard featured the McGuire sisters singing group each holding a bottle of Coca-Cola with a trademark Coca-Cola disc to their right.

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.