Coke vs. Pepsi: How the Cola Wars Showdown Led to Some of the Greatest Americana of All Time

Few rivalries have influenced American advertising the way Coca-Cola and Pepsi did. What began as two competing soda formulas quickly evolved into a century-long battle for cultural dominance — a rivalry that reshaped branding, design, packaging, celebrity marketing, and especially porcelain and neon advertising signage.

The Cola Wars weren’t just about flavor.

They were about identity, loyalty, lifestyle, and generational influence.

And the signs — the porcelain, tin, and neon-heavy branding that once covered diners, grocery stores, gas stations, and highways — became the battleground where each brand fought to win America’s attention.

This breakdown follows the Cola Wars decade by decade, highlighting how Coca-Cola and Pepsi reinvented their visual identities and what those changes meant for advertisers, collectors, and the culture as a whole.

The Origins (Late 1800s–1910): Two Pharmacy Drinks Become

Both Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi-Cola (1898) began in Southern drugstores, sold as fountain drinks. But early advertising strategies couldn’t have been more different:

Coca-Cola’s Early Strategy:

• Elegant Spencerian script
• Strong brand consistency
• Early investment in signage
• A luxury-leaning identity (“Delicious and Refreshing”)

Pepsi-Cola’s Early Strategy:

• Multiple logo variations
• Price-centered messaging: “A Nickel Drink, Worth a Dime”
• Regional distribution
• More experimental typography

In this era, Coca-Cola built a unified national identity, while Pepsi focused on affordability and accessibility. To see how Coke's earl branding developed into an American icon, visit our History of Coca-Cola signs breakdown.

For collectors: Early Pepsi signs are far rarer due to lower production volume.

The 1920s–1930s: Branding Takes Shape

As the soda industry exploded, both brands refined their visual identities.

Coke leaned into:

• Red as a defining brand color
• Porcelain storefront signs
• Metal thermometers and clocks
• “The Pause That Refreshes” campaign

Pepsi leaned into:

• Clean serif logos
• White backgrounds
• Affordable fountain promotions
• Bottle designs emphasizing value

The 1930s laid the foundation for a national showdown — and signage played a major part. Coke’s porcelain signs were everywhere, while Pepsi’s emerging branding hinted at the challenger energy that would define the Cola Wars.

This is also the time when the foundation was being laid for what become America's most iconic highway filled with Route 66 advertising signs, where both brands competed for attention.

The 1940s–1950s: The Pepsi Bottle Cap & the Rise of Neon

World War II reshaped branding. Pepsi introduced its iconic red-white-blue bottle cap, instantly making

 

Pepsi signage in this era featured:

• Patriotic color themes
• Risqué Pepsi Pin-Up porcelain sign
• Die-cut porcelain bottle caps
• Early neon rim signs
• Logos that emphasized modernity

Coke answered with:

• The red disc (“Button”)
• Streamlined Art Deco design
• Mass expansion of porcelain and neon signage
• Universally consistent branding

This era is where real porcelain neon signs representation in advertising explode: diners, motels, and gas stations lit up the American roadside with classic Coke neon porcelain signs and bold Pepsi caps.

For collectors, these mid-century signs represent the golden age.

The 1960s–1980s: The Cola Wars Go Nuclear

This is when the competition became legendary.

Marketing budgets skyrocketed.

Celebrity endorsements became standard.

And advertising entered television, youth culture, and global media.

Coca-Cola leaned into timelessness:

• “Things Go Better With Coke”
• “It’s the Real Thing”
• Classic red branding unchanged
• Nostalgic, sentimental identity

Pepsi positioned itself deliberately as the opposite:

• “Come Alive! You’re in the Pepsi Generation”
• Younger, more energetic tone
• Blue-forward packaging
• Bold neon signs with modernist typography

By the late 1980s — Michael Jackson, New Coke, and Pepsi’s aggressive youth marketing — the Cola Wars reached full intensity.

Pepsi's rebranding movement is explained in full detail through our evolution and History of Pepsi signs article.

This is the era where massive porcelain-and-neon signage became a cultural flashpoint.

The 1990s–2000s: Globalization & the Legacy of Advertising

While the rivalry cooled, its effects remain:

 

• Coke established itself as the “classic.”
• Pepsi leaned into pop culture, sports, and younger audiences.
• Logos modernized.
• Neon signage began to disappear, making originals — and accurate restorations — increasingly collectible.

This period closed the chapter on traditional advertising materials, which is why so many collectors chase the earlier decades today.

⭐ How the Cola Wars Still Influence American Life

The Cola Wars are more than marketing history — they shaped the production and design of the signs themselves. Diner's soda fountains, and drive-ins used these signs daily leading to the book and artistic skill boom. To see more examples of how brands were influenced from this era explore our blog on The Complete History of Retro Soda Shop Signs.

Coca-Cola signs emphasize:

• Consistency
• Emotion
• Classic Americana
• Uniform red branding

Pepsi signs emphasize:

• Reinvention
• Youth culture
• Logo evolution
• Patriotic color schemes

This is why Pepsi’s early signage is harder to find — and why Coke’s mid-century porcelain signs like the classic red button enamel sign or Drink Refreshing Delicious Coke porcelain sign remain some of the most iconic pieces of American advertising.

The Cola Wars created two distinct identities, and collectors today gravitate toward whichever era aligns with their nostalgia.