NEW ALUMINUM CONTOUR BOTTLE SERIES SHOWCASES CULTURAL CONNECTION INSPIRED BY COKE SIDE OF LIFE

FR:    Alexandra Greenberg/MSO PR
         818-380-0400 x223, agreenberg@msopr.com
      
      

As the world joins together for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games this summer, Coca-Cola has invited artists from around the globe to jointly depict what this monumental occasion means to them. The extraordinary alliance of visual and music artists from different lands started with eight blank canvasses of aluminum contour bottles–and eight corresponding themes reflecting the possibilities for happiness and connection from both the Coke Side of Life platform and the upcoming global gathering in Beijing.

Each musical artist–Tiësto, Benny Benassi, Kaskade, Jes, Serge Devant, Lucas Prata, Cezar and Jay-J—have each been provided with a theme and, using music as their form of expression, created a song that expanded on their inspiration drawn from the theme.  

Program at a Glance

The Concept    

The Creative
Product        

The Themes   

The alliance of visual and music artists from different lands started with eight themes reflecting the endless possibilities for happiness and connection from both the Coke Side of Life platform and the upcoming global gathering in Beijing.  The themes:

The Process   

Some of China’s most-exciting artists (five individual graphic designers and three groups*) were set loose to express the themes in a personal way.  Each artist or group of artists took on a different theme for a bottle artwork design.
 

* The Milkxhake group consisted of Javin Mo and Wilson Tang.  The MeWe group consisted of Liu Zhi-zhi, Guang Yu, and He Jun.  The Joyn Viscom group consisted of Jian Jiang, Weestar, and Meng Ke.

The Melody   

The musicians also incorporated into their songs the five signature notes from the melody to the award-winning, 2006 “Happiness Factory” advertisement for Coca-Cola, reproduced in their own styles.  The melody now serves as the new sound of the Coke Side of Life in all brand marketing communications around the world.

Online Availability 

From May to September 2008, the WE8 art-and-music creations – eight unique bottle designs matched with their respective song tracks – are available for DRM free download, which works on all devices, through the Web microsite coca-cola.com/we8.

The microsite showcases the new songs and 3-D images of the bottle designs and also includes ringtone downloads for all eight songs; profiles and photos of the graphic designers and musicians; wallpaper; Web links; and exclusive videos.

In addition, users can share their favorite aluminum bottle designs with friends by posting the bottle artworks to their personal profiles on some of the world’s most-popular social networking sites:  Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, hi5, orkut, and Bebo.

Bottle Introductions
From June through August 2008, the exclusive WE8 bottles become available through local Coca-Cola promotional activities in participating markets.  The themed aluminum bottles (one theme per country) will be available in:  Australia (“Happiness”), Belgium (“Peace on Earth”), Brazil (“Global Harmony”), China (“Healthy World”), France (“Individual Perseverance”), Great Britain (“Uplifting Moments”), Greece (“Human Collaboration”) and New Zealand (“Active Optimism”).  In addition, all eight bottles periodically will be available in the United States at selected Simon Malls around the country.

The special aluminum bottles also are expected to be available in selected locations around Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

A WE8 bottle-and-song collector’s set, featuring all eight specially designed bottles and the eight music tracks, will be available through the online Coca-Cola Store (www.coca-colastore.com); the New World of Coca-Cola attraction, at Pemberton Place in Atlanta (www.worldofcoca-cola.com); and the Everything Coca-Cola stores located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.  The price for the WE8 collector’s set is approximately US $75.

Ultra Records
All of the participating music artists are from the roster of New York-based Ultra Records (www.ultrarecords.com), the leading electronic dance-music and award-winning record                         label in North America.

Coca-Cola & the
Olympic Games
Coca-Cola is a Global Partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, a Worldwide Partner of the International Olympic Committee, and a Sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  The Coca-Cola Company has been continuously associated with the  Olympic Games since 1928 – longer than any other corporate supporter.  The historic partnership of Coca-Cola and the IOC currently lasts through 2020.

For more information, contact:
Alexandra Greenberg/MSO
818-380-0400 x223, agreenberg@msopr.com