Different brands began using aluminum cans for their products for a variety of reasons. Some companies switched to cans because they were more durable and lightweight than glass, making them easier to transport. Others saw the can as an opportunity to stand out from the competition – at a time when most beverages were still sold in glass bottles, switching to cans signalled that a brand was modern and innovative. And for many companies, aluminum can simply represent a more cost-effective packaging option.

Over the years, the aluminum can has become an icon of American culture. It’s been used in everything from pop art to political campaigns, and it’s even been featured in Hollywood films like “The Breakfast Club” and “Napoleon Dynamite.” Campbell's soup, Dr. Pepper, and Coca-Cola were some of the first brands to make the switch to aluminum cans, and today, nearly every major soda and beer company uses them for their products.

So why did these brands make the switch to aluminum cans? And what advantages do they offer over other types of packaging? Let’s take a closer look.

Switching to cans was often seen as a way to modernize a brand.

Cans are also more durable than glass, meaning they’re less likely to break during transport. And because they’re lighter than glass, they’re easier to stack and ship.

Aluminum cans offer a number of other benefits as well. They’re 100% recyclable and can be recycled over and over again without losing any quality. They’re also easy to store and transport, and they keep beverages colder than glass bottles.

Today, the aluminum can is more popular than ever, with sales of canned beverages totalling $19 billion in 2021. And as environmental concerns continue to grow, the can is seen as a more sustainable option than plastic or glass – making it likely that its popularity will only continue to rise.

The aluminum can was first introduced in 1935 by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that canned beverages really started to take off.

Companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Budweiser were some of the first to start using aluminum cans for their products. And while each company had its own reasons for making the switch, they all saw the potential in this new packaging option.

It was around this time that companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi began using aluminum cans for their sodas. At a time when most beverages were still sold in glass bottles, the switch to cans signalled that these brands were modern and innovative.

Coca-Cola was the first major soda brand to make the switch to cans, and it did so for a very practical reason – they were simply more convenient to transport. At the time, most soft drinks were delivered to stores in crates that held 24 glass bottles. But with cans, Coca-Cola could pack twice as many beverages into each crate, making it more efficient for their distributors.

Pepsi soon followed suit, and by the 1960s, canned sodas were more popular than ever. Today, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are two of the world’s biggest users of aluminum cans, with each company selling billions of cans every year.

Budweiser was another early adopter of the aluminum can. The company started using cans for its beer in 1936, just a year after they were introduced.

Budweiser saw the aluminum can as an opportunity to differentiate itself from the competition.

The company was also drawn to the can’s practical benefits, like its lighter weight and increased durability. And like Coca-Cola, Budweiser saw that cans were more efficient to transport than bottles.

Today, Budweiser is one of the world’s biggest users of aluminum cans, selling more than 2 billion cans every year. And the company’s iconic red-and-white can have become an American icon.

While Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Budweiser were some of the first companies to start using aluminum cans, they weren’t the only ones. In the years that followed, many other companies made the switch to cans for their products.

Some companies, like Coors and Miller, switched to cans because they were more convenient to transport. Others, like Heineken and Corona, saw the can as an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition. And for many companies, aluminum can simply represent a more cost-effective packaging option.

So next time you crack open a cold one, take a moment to appreciate the humble aluminum can – and all the history that’s been packed into it.