The May 15, 1950, edition of TIME magazine showcased a drawing of the earth being fed a bottle of Coca-Cola. However, TIME never intended the cover to be that way, and it only came about after an intervention from a Coca-Cola chairman.

Originally, TIME planned to have Coca-Cola president Robert Woodruff as the face on its front page, but he declined to be featured on the magazine because he believed that the drink was "the only important element in the company." The result was a cover that TIME declared its best of 1950.

The Coca-Cola Company reports that their 1950 cover was the first occasion TIME had featured a commercial product on its front page. TIME's accompanying article was very Coke-friendly as well, claiming Coca-Cola "creates desire” and creating very good press for the company.