The Refresher May-June 1964

The World's Fair -- first billion-dollar fair in history -- has superlatives galore. Besides the world's largest carillon, it has the largest globular structure ever built by man -- the 12-story-high stainless steel Unisphere, symbol of the fair. It has the world's most powerful searchlight beam . . . the world's largest fountain . . . a mammoth sky-dome spectacular on the biggest projection screen in the world . . . the world's largest outdoor photographic prints . . . and many of the latest marvels of science and industry.

Theme of the fair is "Peace Through Understanding." Both educational and entertaining, the fair offers a look into the past, a survey of the present and a peep into the future. It's a report to the world on the achievements and aspirations of man.

The "Global Holiday" exhibit in The Coca-Cola Company Pavilion provides close-up views of interesting places in today's world. The exhibit has attracted many prominent persons, such as Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, 6-year-old Caroline Kennedy, actress Carol Channing, columnist Inez Robb, TV and radio stars Arthur Godfrey, Arlene Francis and Betty Furness, as well as countless members of school groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, club members and individuals.

Visitors are unanimously enthusiastic about the round-the-world tour.

"Wonderful!" proclaimed a pretty young mother.

"Marvelous," exclaimed a gray-haired businessman.

"Fascinating!" was the verdict of a college student.

"It's real cool," said a crewcut teen-ager.

One of the highest compliments given the "Global Holiday" exhibit is by those who complete the tour and then say: "Now let's go through it again!"

Time magazine published a comprehensive report on the various exhibits and concluded that "the fair's best trip of all" is at the Coca-Cola Pavilion.

The Time reporter described the "Global Holiday" in this way: "Visitors walk at their own speed, not through a miniscule world, but through a life-sized re-creation -- complete with smells and temperature changes -- of five exotic scenes: a street in Hong Kong, a vista of the Taj Mahal, a lush Cambodian rain forest, an Alpine ski lodge, a cruise ship moving into the Rio de Janerio harbor."

Visitors entering The Coca-Cola Pavilion are greeted by a sign: "WELCOME -- We cordially invite you to visit some of the exciting places in that wonderful world of refreshment where the products of The Coca-Cola Company are just around the corner from anywhere."

George Biddick, exhibit manager, accompanied Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy and her party through the "Global Holiday" exhibit, and he quoted her as saying she thoroughly enjoyed the tour. She was particularly impressed by the Cambodian rain forest, the Bavarian ski lodge and the street in Hong Kong.

One of the pretty young hostesses in The Coca-Cola Company Pavilion, 19-year-old Judy Mellina, said she thought she was greeting "just another family group" when Mrs. Kennedy and Caroline entered the Cambodian rain forest.

"I was showing Caroline the monkeys in the trees," Judy said, "and she was very excited about them. Then I looked up and saw Mrs. Kennedy smiling at me. I managed to say 'hello' to her -- and she spoke to me. It was one of the biggest thrills of my life!"

Judy said the exhibit is making a big hit with everybody who sees it. "Many people say its one of the best at the fair -- and I think it is too! You can walk and feel and touch and smell -- and you get the feeling you are in another country."

Ted Duffield, creative director for The Coca-Cola Company Pavilion, spent two and a half years developing the exhibit, and he is delighted with the reception it is getting. "I wrote the script for the whole show," he said "and Displayers, Inc. executed it. They had terrific craftsmen to do the job. Gerard van Duyn, a free-lance designer for Displayers, Inc., is the man who designed each of the five experience areas."

"Because Coke is enjoyed in 125 countries we decided there could only be one theme 'World of Refreshment'," Mr. Duffield explained. "We had a story to tell, and our aim was to come as close to reality as possible within the limits of the money. We did everything to make these experiences authentic. For example, everything in the Bavarian ski lodge actually was bought in Bavaria. The bus stop sign on the Hong Kong street and the signs advertising Coca-Cola were sent to me by the Coca-Cola bottler there."

In addition to the experience areas, the exhibit includes an art gallery featuring paintings by Georgia artists as well as a display of things associated with the history of Coca-Cola -- such as an old syrup barrel and a model of a soda fountain for Coca-Cola, circa 1886. The Pavilion also contains an impressive display of the products of The Coca-Cola Company with a waterfall as a backdrop to symbolize the refreshing quality of Coke.