Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker delivered remarks at Coca-Cola’s 100^th anniversary of its glass bottle patent, hosted at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  Secretary Pritzker helped celebrate Coca-Cola’s iconic glass bottle design, which would not have become the symbol that it is today without the design patent it received in 1915 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

At the National Archives event, Secretary Pritzker highlighted Coca-Cola’s American spirit of ingenuity and commerce. Secretary Pritzker also noted the role of the Commerce Department in setting the conditions for American innovation to flourish. For example, innovators rely on patents and trademarks granted by the Department’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect their new ideas. Secretary Pritzker concluded by honoring the single design of the glass bottle and Coca-Cola’s century of constant re-design and innovation—the hallmark of a successful and ever-growing company.

 

The original bottle was designed by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, nearly 30 years after the soft drink was launched in 1886. Root Glass won a contest in which Coca-Cola tasked companies to design a recognizable glass bottle—one that consumers could identify even in the dark. The shape of the soda bottle was unlike any other, distinguishing Coca-Cola from its competitors. The U.S. Patent and Trade Office later gave Coca-Cola’s contoured glass bottle its trademark status in 1961 for being so iconic and contributing greatly to the company’s success.

 

In addition to the celebratory event last night, the National Archives Museum will intermittently display a special exhibit of the original patent throughout the year.