These Coca-Cola artifacts will be buried on July Fourth for 250 years

In the year 2276, a future generation is expected to unearth a whole heap of American history, including a “message in a bottle” from an iconic Atlanta brand.

Coca-Cola contributed items for a time capsule that is set to be buried Saturday to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The artifacts reflect “the brand’s enduring role in bringing people together through shared moments across generations of American life,” says an announcement.

Coca-Cola donated a contour glass bottle with a special note and sheet music for their new song, “I’d Like to Buy America a Coke.”

The message says in part: “America, so much has happened since we poured our first Coke in Atlanta in 1886. We’ve seen black-and-white turn to color. Explored outer space. Marched for civil rights. … For more than a century we’ve shared in the collective effervescence of our dreams. We raise a glass to what comes next. Happy Birthday, America. You’re the real thing.”

From left, the America250 time capsule and the bell jar that will fit on top of it, shown in the machine shop where they were created at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. (Courtesy of NIST)

Coca-Cola is a sponsor of America250, an initiative tasked with celebrating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Among the events, a 900-pound time capsule will be buried at the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, set to be opened in another 250 years.

The Coca-Cola artifacts will join items from all the U.S. states and territories, branches of government and other groups.

Included in the list is an iPhone 17 Pro Max, an Olympic gold medal, fabric from the Wright brothers’ famous flight in North Carolina, a right whale bone from Maine, gambling chips from Nevada, a rosary from Puerto Rico and lots of commemorative coins, poems and proclamations.

“The time capsule reflects a national responsibility to preserve a representative record of the United States at 250 years,” said an announcement.

Coca-Cola’s history is certainly intertwined with pivotal American moments.

During World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower requested millions of bottles of Coca-Cola be sent to American troops. So, the beverage company built 64 bottling plants overseas, which ultimately grew its global footprint. Coca-Cola today is sold in more than 200 countries and is one of the most advertised brands in the world.

In the 1960s, when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize, Coca-Cola leaders threatened to move the company out of Atlanta unless business leaders agreed to celebrate the civil rights leader. A letter from King thanking Coca-Cola for sponsoring that banquet, which King called a testimonial to the “greatness of the city of Atlanta,” today is displayed in the company’s corporate archives.

During the Vietnam War, Coca-Cola gathered diverse youth atop a hill in Italy to sing a catchy tune, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke,” becoming an anthem of peace and the company’s most iconic ad.

Coca-Cola has also sponsored every Olympics since 1928 and commemorated U.S. presidential inaugurations with limited-edition bottles.

“We are a veritable red thread that is woven through the American fabric,” Stacy Jackson, vice president of Coca‑Cola Trademark in North America, said in a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

As part of America250, Coca-Cola launched a marketing campaign and community initiatives. That included reimagining the hilltop ad with a new film and song, “I’d Like to Buy America a Coke.” The company also released collectible mini-cans with different emblems for each state, painted murals and committed volunteer hours.

Alex Ames, senior director of content and creative excellence for Coca-Cola, recently told the AJC that to develop the campaign, the company convened a briefing with advertising agencies, experts and influencers.