Tuesday, July 8, 1997 | 10:08 a.m.
The world's most famous brand name meets one of the world's most popular streets today with the opening of a combination museum, tourist attraction and retail outlet paying tribute to Coca-Cola.
World of Coca-Cola Las Vegas opened its doors to the public this morning after an invitation-only reception Monday night at the flagship store of the Showcase Mall at 3785 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
Local dignitaries welcomed the Atlanta-based corporation to Southern Nevada and Coca-Cola executives drank in the Strip culture before the 100-foot Coke bottle became a gigantic bottle rocket launcher spewing trademark red and green fireworks into the night sky.
"Most of the people who know me know that I carry around a big container of Diet Coke every day," Gov. Bob Miller said. "I've finally found a bottle that would be satisfactory for me."
Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown issued a city proclamation welcoming the 111-year-old company to town, and Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates also rolled out the red carpet to the company with the predominantly red color scheme.
"It occasionally gets a little hot in this valley," Miller said when handing the microphone over to Sergio Zyman, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the Coca-Cola Co. "And now, we know where to send people."
"Bob, we like it hot," said Zyman, not missing a beat in the transition.
Zyman said the anticipation for the opening was like Christmas Eve for most of the execs in attendance.
"We've never done anything quite like this," Zyman said. "I'm not sure any brand in the world can."
Zyman explained that the soft-drink manufacturer is more than just a company selling a product -- it has become a worldwide cultural icon. The World of Coca-Cola celebrates the many true stories that have become a part of Coke lore, he said.
"We're in 200 countries across the globe," Zyman said. "We're in the space shuttle and we were at the Berlin Wall when it fell. Our presence prompted a New York Times writer to say that Coke is inescapable to the ends of the Earth."
At its opening today, members of Las Vegas Boys & Girls Club were first in line to check out the interior of the place.
For $5 per adult ($2.50 for children 6-12 and free for those under 6), here's what visitors to the 28,000-square foot facility will experience:
* Best's Soda Fountain. Cutouts of famous Hollywood personalities surround an authentic soda fountain with 1930s-style stools. A soda jerk swaps stories with visitors about the local social scene. Visitors can drink from among 30 different Coke products worldwide, including Gurana Tai, a mixed fruit flavor from Brazil; Simba Pina, a pineapple-flavored drink from Paraguay; and Krest, a ginger ale from Thailand.
* History of Coca-Cola. A small-town street is the setting for the telling of the soft drink's story. Live entertainers are part of the storytelling process with questions fielded by actors in period costumes.
* Global Storytelling Theatre and the Coca-Cola Theatre. A 64-seat theater touches on Coke's role in the area of art, sports and fashion.
* Las Vegas Bottling Plant. A fill-and-seal line to replenish local supplies shows how bottlers have operated locally since 1920.
* 1950s Modern Appliance Store. Original clocks, radios and authentic Coca-Cola hi-fi gadgets are displayed. A black-and-white television broadcasts famous Coke commercials.
* Nick's Garage. More nostalgia. Nick, a World War II veteran, works on a hot rod race car and fills his time talking about racing, the war and life in general.
* Santa's Toy Store. Artist Haddon Sundblom's famous Santa Claus image has been a trademark favorite of Coke's for years and a shop full of gifts is available to visitors.
* Everything Coca-Cola store. A 12,000-square-foot retail outlet with every type of Coke souvenir imaginable.
* The big bottle. Riders to the top of the bottle will hear sounds of crackling ice, pouring soda and a soundtrack of Coke jingles. Remember "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" and the polar bears?
The World of Coca-Cola is a part of the $94 million, 192,000-square-foot Showcase, which also is home to GameWorks, the All-Star Cafe and an eight-screen United Artists theater. An M&M/Mars-Ethel M Chocolates retail outlet is due to open later this year.
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