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.
Table of Contents
- 1 Today’s Special: Versatile Menu Boards
- 2 The Shape of Things to Come
- 3 Customized Boards to Reflect Personality
- 4 Quick Promotions, Big Returns
- 5 Pictorial Inserts: Selling the Meal With the Drink
- 6 A Cultural Snapshot: Diners and Drive-Ins in the 1970s
- 7 Why the Mid-to-Late 1970s?
- 8 Legacy of the Marketeer Menu Boards
- 9 Final Reflection: Today’s Special Forever
- 10 Learn More About the Company Brand Featured in this Promotion
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
In January 1957, the Vendorlator Manufacturing Company, commonly known as VMC or Vendorlator, launched a series of six new coin-operated coolers, including the VMC Coin Cooler, for Coca-Cola. They conducted three promotional campaigns throughout the year to highlight the features of these coolers in the January, the February, and the May 1957 issues of The Coca-Cola Bottler magazine, targeting Coca-Cola bottlers.
Table of Contents
- 1 Start Calling Now to Make 1957 Your Greatest Profit Year
- 2 For a More Successful Treasure Hunt use VMC Coin Coolers
- 3 Modern Upright VMC Coin Coolers Give You King Size Capacity
- 4 Products Featured in the VMC Product Line
- 5 Learn More About the Manufacturer and the Company Brand Featured in this Promotion
Start Calling Now to Make 1957 Your Greatest Profit Year
The inaugural promotion for the new 1957 VMC complete product line, including the VMC Coin Cooler, was titled “Start Calling Now… to Make 1957 Your Greatest Profit Year.” This campaign appeared in the January 1957 edition of The Coca-Cola Bottler magazine, targeting Coca-Cola bottlers. It showcased a rotary dial phone with the six new VMC coin-operated coolers for Coca-Cola integrated into the dial and the yellow Vendorlator Manufacturing Company logo at the dial’s center. The promotion highlighted the coolers’ modernity and their readiness for immediate installation in retail locations.
For a More Successful Treasure Hunt use VMC Coin Coolers
The second promotion for the new 1957 VMC complete product line was titled “For a More Successful Treasure Hunt Use VMC Coin Coolers.” Featured in the February 1957 edition of The Coca-Cola Bottler magazine, this two-page advertisement was aimed at Coca-Cola bottlers. It showcased all six new coin coolers, emphasizing their readiness for shipment as part of a treasure hunt campaign. The promotion also highlighted that each cooler would be more cost-effective and space-efficient for dealers or outlets. Additionally, it provided an overview and the dispensing capacities for each cooler model.
Modern Upright VMC Coin Coolers Give You King Size Capacity
The third promotion featured an advertisement from Coca-Cola, showcasing three out of six new coin-operated coolers, emphasizing their capability to dispense King Size Coca-Cola bottles.
Products Featured in the VMC Product Line
The VMC product line and supporting promotions featured 6 new coolers dispensing bottles of Coca-Cola.
- The VMC V44 Semi-Automatic Coca-Cola Coin Cooler was perfect for the smallest outlet.
- The VMC 88 Semi-Automatic Coca-Cola Coin Cooler which could vend all sizes of Coca-Cola bottles.
- The VMC 144M Semi-Automatic Coca-Cola Coin Cooler was ideal for larger outlets needing to vend different sizes of bottles.
- The VMC 144SA Selective-Automatic Coca-Cola Coin Cooler was guaranteed for 50% capacity.
- The VMC 149A Fully-Automatic Coca-Cola Coin Cooler was able to vend bottles of Coca-Cola anywhere, anytime.
- The VMC 304A Fully-Automatic Coca-Cola Coin Cooler was the best cooler for a full-service program.
