The Rise and Fall of Coca-Cola: How America’s Favorite Drink Nearly Lost Everything

In 1985, Coca-Cola made one of the most controversial decisions in American business history: it changed the formula of its most famous drink. The result? New Coke. Backed by extensive research and taste tests, Coca-Cola believed the new formula could help win the Cola Wars. Instead, consumers across America demanded the return of the original. Just 79 days later, Coca-Cola reversed course. But the story of Coca-Cola's near-disaster didn't begin in 1985. It began nearly a century earlier, in Atlanta, Georgia, when pharmacist John Stith Pemberton created a drink that initially sold only a handful of servings each day. This documentary explores the rise of Coca-Cola—from its humble beginnings and aggressive marketing strategy to its iconic bottle, global expansion, rivalry with Pepsi, the New Coke crisis, and the company's remarkable survival. How did a simple drink become one of the most recognizable brands in the world? And why did millions of people care so deeply when Coca-Cola changed its formula? Watch the full documentary to discover the story behind one of America's most famous brands. This documentary is created for historical and educational purposes using historical information and archival material where available. Coca Cola history Coca Cola documentary rise and fall of Coca Cola Coca Cola New Coke New Coke 1985 Coca Cola 1985 history of Coca Cola Coca Cola story Coca Cola origin John Pemberton Asa Candler Coca Cola history documentary New Coke documentary Cola Wars Coca Cola vs Pepsi American business history American history documentary corporate history brand history business documentary marketing history famous brands history Coca Cola marketing Coca Cola advertising Coca Cola bottle history 1985 New Coke New Coke failure Coca Cola crisis history documentaries American documentary #cocacola #history #documentaryfilmmaking #cocacolacompany #americanhistory #ushistory #historyofamerica #americanstories #americanculture #americanlife #usahistory #usculture #historyfacts #historyexplained #historystories #forgottenhistory #untoldhistory #hiddenhistory #historynerds #historybuff #historylovers #historicalfacts