In 1915, Coca-Cola offered a contest among its bottle suppliers to design a distinct and unique bottle for their flagship drink. Word made its way around all of the bottling plants and one in particular, the Root Glass Company, operating out of Terra Haute, Indiana, got to work on the contest. The owner of the bottling plant passed it down to some of his staff and one man in particular, Earl R. Dean, began working on ideas for the new bottle.
Dean was inspired by the shape of the cocoa pod and used it as a basis for his design. The first prototype was indeed a distinct and unique look (as shown above), but was flawed. With the middle being wider in diameter than the base, it caused the bottles to fall while on conveyor belts.
After a little bit of tweaking, mainly shrinking the diameter of the bottle in the middle, Dean's design was chosen by Coca-Cola in 1916 and the famous bottle shape, which continues to be used to this day, made its debut.
Dean was offered the choice of a $500 bonus, or a lifetime job with the Root Glass Company. Wisely, he opted the consistent work and stayed with the company until it was bought out in the 1930s.
