Official Coca-Cola Company Uniforms
Are you in the mood for a little nostalgia? These photos are of vintage brochures advertising various styles of Riverside uniforms made for the employees of the Coca-Cola Company. The Riverside Manufacturing Company has been in business since 1911, and still makes corporate uniforms today out of Moultrie, Georgia.
Similar to the example we saw in an earlier blog about standardized painting of Coca-Cola trucks, it was also important to the Coca-Cola Company that their employees have a ‘uniform’ look. They understood the value of a standardized look and the customer loyalty and sales that were generated by this attention to detail. All the coordinated elements (advertising, soda machines, trucks, employee uniforms) combined to create a total corporate identity. In addition, this uniformity made the employees themselves feel better, as it created a sense of a democracy and working together as a team, as opposed to emphasizing a workplace hierarchy.
Coca-Cola still has their employees wear uniforms today, but they are a far cry from the crisp, military styles of the past. Where today you will see drivers and delivery people wearing a polo shirt or casual button-down shirt paired with a baseball-style cap, in the 1940’s and 50’s the uniforms were designed to look very similar to those worn by military personnel. This applied to both men and the women. The uniform for the men consisted of a crisp long or short-sleeve shirt and slacks with a military style cap. The women’s uniform was a dress resembling those worn by nurses during WWII with a cap to complete a polished, professional appearance. In addition to creating a sense of professionalism, the uniforms also created an authoritative air. Because, after all, Coke had a lot of fierce competition, all vying for the bulk of the soft drink market. Standardized trucks and uniforms were an effective way to give a trustworthy and dependable appearance to the man delivering “The Pause That Refreshes” and to give Coca-Cola the upper hand in the marketplace.
Riverside Manufacturing Company
Corporate Office
301 Riverside Drive
Moultrie, Georgia
7 responses so far ↓
1 RONALD // May 4, 2009 at 8:16 am
When did they put zippers in the pants of the uniform? I have a uniform #70530 lot 250 by Masterbilt,with Logo Says Drink Coca-Cola Trademark (R),white with green stripes Can you help. Thanks
Ronnie
2 Eric // Jul 24, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I have a uniform exactly like the one at the top of the page. Complete with the Cap, top and bottom, even the socks. I bought it a couple of years ago at an auction and was wondering if anyone had an idea about what it may be appraised at? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
3 Randy // Oct 3, 2009 at 10:39 am
It is true that most uniforms for the civilian work force were patterned after military uniforms after WWII,up to the to the late 60’s. I worked at the local Coca-Cola bott. plant as a teenager from 1962 to 1965. Our summer uniforms were either the white or brown with the green pinstripes and the winter uniform was either wool or dacron (you had your choice) dark forest green. I really liked the winter wool uniforms the best,and still have one (doesn’t fit now,130lbs then 190lbs now!).
4 Brian // Jan 7, 2010 at 5:11 pm
hope someone can help me here. I have a Coke uniform and need the approx. year it was made.
It is a khaki/butternut with thin green stripes, the logo is :
_______________________
\ /
\ /
/ \
/______________________\
roughly the shape. with the words “Drink Coca Cola” and then under that the words copyright. and the R in a circle.
Any help would be appreciated as I must sell it soon.
Thank You.
5 mike rapier // Feb 6, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I found a set of coveralls with coke cola embroidered on the front and Drink coke cola in bottles embroidered on the back. the buttons have lamb brand stamped on them, and the belt is attached. any ideal of the time period these were used? I’m from Terre Haute In. and we had a bottling plant here for a while if that is any help. Please let me know. Thanks…
6 Joann Carter // May 2, 2010 at 5:19 pm
I have a coke hat and shirt tan with brown and orange strip with a gold stripe , Made by riverside , what is this shirt worth ?
7 vintagevending // May 3, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Joann,
We can’t give estimates on value, but check out ebay using the terms “vintage coca cola uniform shirt” This pulled up several uniform shirts that you can use to estimate worth.
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