You may notice that several of the game programs from the late 1950’s – early 1960’s use full-color artwork for their program covers. Four-color covers are very expensive to create and print; teams playing on the weekends could barely afford such luxuries as full-color programs. Enter the Coca-Cola Company.
Coca-Cola, in partnership with the Spencer Advertising Company of New York City, designed several program covers for basketball and football teams, both on the high school and college levels. In exchange for the full-color front cover, the team would give Coke the center page, which often held the night’s scorecard and rosters. Besides high school and college teams, the Eastern Pro League also used Coca-Cola-sponsored and designed covers.
As you can see on the examples below, the team’s names and opponent names were printed in black, either over an unobtrusive portion of the program, or in an area where the artwork’s faces were not obscured. Coincidentally, some teams “used” the same artwork; the same artistic scheme can appear on several programs over the years, as seen below. It also explains why the “players” are wearing generic jerseys that do not contain any “home” or “away” team information.
Many of the artists involved in the Coca-Cola sports program artwork were students and practitioners of the “Mayonnaise School” of art, applying thick layers of paint to create a warm, lush, inviting glow on skin and cheeks, a style used by pin-up artists of the 1940’s and 1950’s.
When possible, the CBA Museum has attempted to identify the artists involved in creating these basketball artworks. Any information regarding the history or background of these artists, or identifying previously anonymous artists, would be greatly appreciated.
Coca-Cola Catalog Information
 1956-67 Coca-Cola basketball catalog cover artist: Lon Keller |
 Example of blank program cover cover artist: Lon Keller |
 completed program Sunbury Mercuries 1963-64 |
Coca-Cola would produce six different covers per season in its catalog, offering these catalogs to high schools, colleges and minor league basketball teams. The catalogs offer detailed information on printing 4-page and 8-page programs, and how to apply the scoring information on the center page spread. The center page had room for team names and statistics, as well as “referee symbols” and a picture of a cherub-cheeked “girl next door” drinking a bottle of Coca-Cola.
 1967-68 Coca-Cola opening center score page before printing |
 1967-68 Coca-Cola opening center score page Sunbury Mercuries 1968 game |
As you can see from these “before” and “after” spreads, not only did the Sunbury Mercuries integrate their game-day rosters and a scorecard into the center page, it also put a “lucky number” on the bottom left of the score sheet – when the “lucky number” was announced, the recipient would receive a free Coke. The owner of this program was doubly successful – he also received a “free shot,” as can be seen on the center right of the score sheet. Most likely he got to make a free throw for a prize.
Fred Fixler’s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Baltimore Bullets 1960-61 |
 Easton- Phillipsburg Madisons 1960-61 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1963-64 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1963-64 |
Fred Fixler drew several covers for Coca-Cola, many of which were used and re-used by Eastern League teams. Fixler later moved to the Brandon House publishing company, where his collection of cheesecake covers for their paperback novel division are highly collectible today. In later years, Fixler founded the California Art Institute in Calabassas, Calif.
Lon Keller’s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Scranton Miners 1960-61 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1965-66 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1963-64 |
Lon Keller’s first sports program cover was the 1932 Cornell-Pennsylvania Thanksgiving Day football game. Keller designed hundreds of basketball and sports program covers throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, and very few of his programs were left on the bleachers after the game ended. Lon Keller is also famous for designing the New York Yankees’ “top hat” logo and the New York Mets’ “skyline” logo. For more information on Lon Keller, visit Lon Keller.com.
Larry Tisdale’s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Sunbury Mercuries 1965-66 |
Joe Little’s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Sunbury Mercuries 1958-59 |
“Abbott”‘s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Sunbury Mercuries 1959-60 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1968-69 |
“Marini”‘s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Sunbury Mercuries 1966-67 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1967-68 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1968-69 |
 Sunbury Mercuries 1969-70 |
“R.T. Andrelle”‘s Coca-Cola Front Covers
 Sunbury Mercuries 1970-71 |