One year on his birthday, my brother’s friends brought him a 24-pack of Coca-Cola with candles stuck in the cardboard packaging. The case of Coke was both a mock-cake and what my brother considered an awesome birthday present. My memories of the brand might be unique, but the brand has shown that it can maintain loyalty from many other consumers throughout generations as well.

As long as I can remember, Coca-Cola was the staple beverage in my home. Sometimes it was the only brand-name product in the house. In my early teens, my mom and I even went to the World of Coca-Cola.  I was especially happy that I knew about the brand’s history when I had the chance to listen to The Coca-Cola Co.’s Katie Bayne speak about the 100th anniversary of the brand’s Contour Bottle and the current campaigns surrounding the milestone at The Beverage Forum in April. As the brand turns 129, it continues to stay relevant with new product launches, fountain programs, marketing campaigns and more.

The Beverage Industry reporter side of me was excited when Bayne shared a 1915 memo in which the beverage company asked bottle makers to design, “a bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, even if broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was.” This is just what the company got, and today many consider it the most recognizable bottle in the world.

 It seems that a handful of brands make these kinds of long-standing connections with consumers, and I look forward to learning their tips of the trade. What other beverage companies or brands connect to families the way Coca-Cola has? Share your thoughts with our Twitter handle @BeverageInd.