One of the most successful commerci

One of the most successful commercial products ever launched is said to have come about as the result of a mistake. In 1896, Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, was selling a nerve tonic known as “French Wine Cola — Ideal Nerve Tonic”. By accidentally adding fizzy water instead of still water to the recipe, a pharmacist called John S. Pemberton invented what has today become the most popular soft drink in the world: Coca-Cola. Along with its closest rival— Pepsi— which appeared on the market three years later, Coke has enjoyed phenomenal success worldwide, particularly in the past fifty years. Indeed, old Coke bottles and “limited edition” cans can often fetch considerable sums from collectors, and there are even stores which deal exclusively in Coke products and memorabilia.