What was Coca-Cola’s first slogan to use the phrase “The Real Thing”?

Coca-Cola’s first slogan to use the phrase “The Real Thing” was “It’s the Real Thing.”

The campaign launched in 1969 and presented Coca-Cola as an original, authentic choice in a competitive soft-drink market. Its advertising used the line in television, print, outdoor, and other media, making it one of the company’s most memorable modern slogans.

The wording followed earlier Coca-Cola themes about refreshment and emotional connection. In 1971, the related “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” commercial extended the campaign’s message of harmony, although that commercial used a different line.

People often mix up “It’s the Real Thing” with “The Pause That Refreshes,” which Coca-Cola had used decades earlier. They are separate slogans from different periods. Coca-Cola later revived or adapted “Real Thing” language, but the 1969 campaign is the key historical origin of this exact slogan.