Coupons were invented in 1888 by John Pemberton and Asa Candler, cofounders of the Coca-Cola Company. The early coupons for Coca-Cola showed the classic cursive logo in the center, with the headline “This card entitles you to one glass of Coca-Cola” and along the sides, it encouraged you to go to any dispenser to redeem the coupon. This is one of the first nationwide campaigns to brand something that historically had many regional varieties. The campaign was a huge success, and within the first two decades of its existence 8.5 million free drinks for one in nine Americans had been redeemed.
