The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation that manufactures, sells, and markets non-alcoholic beverage concentrates, syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Alexander Samuelson was a Swedish glass blower who created and patented the shape in 1915, and introduced it to the market in 1916. He drew inspiration from an illustration of a cocoa bean pod in the Encyclopedia Britannica for the design. The Coca-Cola bottle illustrates the power of brand identity, and has become a collector's item, a cult object, a subject for fine art, and essential subject matter in the study of brand awareness. This classic design proves its abiltiy to outlast material and technological change.