Coca-Cola Magnificent 5 Aluminum Bottles Belgium 2006

In 2005, Coca-Cola developed a line of five collectible aluminum bottles Magnificent or M5.The soft-drink giant commissioned five different graphic design studios across the world to design the new line,which feature modern and hip design aimed at young and creative consumers.The five graphice films are: The Designer's Republic (UK),Lobo (Brazil), MK12 (United States ), Rex & Tennant Mckay (South Africa) and Caviar (Japan).

These new aluminum bottles will only be featured at "the world's most exclusive clubs and lounges". The bottles will be released first in Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and Italy. After one to two years Coca-Cola will decide whether or not to retire the designs.

Each bottle was released with a unique music video.

Coca Cola Magnificent 5 Africa - Rex & Tennant Mckay

Coca-Cola asked 5 design groups, from 5 continents to create and share visions of optimism, and called it ‘The Magnificent 5′. It was aimed at re-uniting Coke with popular culture on a global level to help reclaim its youth market consumer base. Coke’s visionary team of marketers acted as patrons of the arts, using M5 to take Coke back to creativity. It was a very brave move away from ‘capitalist corporation’ toward ‘cultural icon’, using artistic expression to obtain its own street cred.

The brief to the M5 was simple – link Coca-Cola to ‘a better world optimism’. Each design team was tasked to create a Short Story to visualize they’re own unique perspective on BetterWorld Optimism. These short stories came to life as Music Videos – each set to music tracks from different trendsetting musicians. Along with the music video, each team had to design a supporting set of limited edition merchandising: a coke bottle, a vinyl toy (based on a character featured in the music video), a set of posters, and T-shirts. The limited edition ‘bottles’ were constructed entirely from aluminum, used luminous invisible inks which glowed under fluorescent light in night clubs, and were under-filled to be used as a vessel to add alcohol to in night clubs (instead of pouring it into a glass).

The offering from each continent was launched globally in three-month bursts, supplemented by a range of merchandise. The videos were released at the world’s hottest clubs, along with the limited edition bottles, to create an iconic experience. Anonymous screenings on the most popular global music television channels, viewings at global Resfest gatherings, viral distribution via internet and mobile technologies, active projection in exclusive night clubs and stage screenings on tour with the music collaborators in Ibiza – these were all ways in which the content was circulated.

It was important for us to capture something uniquely African without utilizing any clichés, both in concept and visual execution. Because each campaign was being made accessible to audiences all over the world, it needed to have international appeal, and more importantly because it was targeted specifically at the youth market the design solution needed to have a ‘cool’ factor.

When conceptualizing our short story, we drew great inspiration from the African myths, legends, fables, songs and proverbs that define this birthplace of mankind – and we found that it had striking similarities with so many cultures that have developed in opposite corners of the world. African mythology most often manifests itself as carved figures. The inspiration for our character came from an East African spirit called ‘Malaika’, which is said to be sent from heaven to help people. It is created from light, so it is entirely transparent, and cannot even think evil, let alone do it. It appears to serve people in distress, defeating evil through its mystical display.

Selecting the right track to create a music video for was quite challenging, as there were a lot of great choices from some amazing independent musicians. In the end, though, Fischerspooner’s track ‘All We Are’ felt like the perfect soundtrack to our interpretation of ‘Better World Optimism’, and became an inspiration in itself for the visual tone of the whole campaign.

This project was awarded a gold craft at the 2006 Loerie Awards.

THE TEAM:
Client: Coca Cola
Artist Collaboration: TM & Rex
Concepts: TM & Rex
Design: TM & Rex
Character Design: TM
2D Animation: TM & Rex
3D Animation: TM & Gerbrand Nel
Compositing: TM & Gavin Hong

Coca Cola Magnificent 5 Europe - Love Being

Coca-Cola redesigns bottle in limited-edition aluminium
by Samuel Solley, Marketing, 21 September 2005, 08:10AM

LONDON - Coca-Cola has unveiled a limited-edition aluminium bottle -- the first major remodelling of its famous contour bottle since 1915.
The bottles, which go on sale next month, will initially feature the words "Love Being", taking the theme of the company's "Love Coke" UK advertising campaign.

Coca-Cola used five global design studios to create graphics for the bottles.

The first design to feature on the bottles will be the work of UK agency The Designers Republic.

Coca-Cola's GB marketing director, Cathryn Sleight, said the designs will "help keep the bottle relevant to consumers, while combining cutting-edge design with art and culture".

Subsequent designs will feature the work of Lobo from Brazil, MK12 in the US, Rex & Tennant McKay in South Africa and Caviar in Japan. The bottles will be released in selected countries for limited periods.

Each design agency has created a short film set to music to accompany the launch of its bottle. The films will be shown in style bars and nightclubs stocking the bottle.

The Love Being bottles will be available for three months from the start of October.

Last year Coca-Cola produced a series of limited-edition bottles designed by Matthew Williamson. However, this activity affected only the labelling, rather than the material used to manufacture the bottles.

In July, the company introduced its first umbrella campaign, jointly promoting brands including Coca-Cola and Diet Coke, as well as Sprite, Fanta, Malvern and Oasis. The campaign was created by Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.

Coca Cola Magnificent 5 - MK12 North America

According to Matt Fraction, one of MK12's founders, the assignment was "too good to be true."

"Coke was a sponsor, really: they made it all happen and left everyone alone to do the work. No product placement, no credit, etc. They didn't want a Coke commercial. They wanted to commission a piece of work from us," he wrote on his blog.

MK12 was allowed to show the work in public this summer, but was asked not to reveal Coke's involvement. "They're looking, I think, into becoming patrons of work like this, the way they once did for Warhol & co. And so that's M5 and that's why we did it," Fraction wrote.

Bottle: (Not Named)

“Birds and flowers swirl in, out, and around a modern color scheme punctuated by unexpected bursts of red. The bottle is instantly recognizable but profoundly re-imagined.”

Coca Cola Magnificent 5 LoBo South America

Synopsis

In 2005 the Coca-Cola company launched a project called Magnificent 5, 

or M5 for short, inviting five design studios from five continents to create “visions of optimism”. 

Each of the studios, Caviar (Japan), The Designers Republic (U.K.), MK12 (U.S.A.), 

Rex & Tennant McKay (South Africa), and Lobo (that’s us) was commissioned to create

 an exclusive aluminum Coke bottle design and a short film set to a song by a rising group. 

We were assigned the song “You Gotta Hold On” by The Flaming Lips, and set about

 to conceive a script inspired by it. Not an easy task, since Coke granted us complete freedom

 to create everything, from story to visual direction – one of the most daunting and 

yet enticing aspects of the project.

We wanted to tell a tale of optimism that didn’t look away from the gritty side of reality; 

one that showed how hope can emerge even out of dire situations. 

Eventually we arrived at a plot in which creatures made of discarded bits and pieces get together 

and, through mutual help and joint action, manage to improve their conditions and fill their bleak surroundings with color.

It was only natural that we chose the stop-motion animation technique to bring this tale to life. 

We went out and rummaged through junkyards and swap meets, searching for old toys, 

electrical appliances and everything else containing interesting parts. 

Back in the studio, we started playing around and combining those finds in order to 

create the characters for our film, ending up with over a dozen different creatures.

 From then on it was the stop-motion animation team’s job to assemble articulated models

 from the character designs, sometimes using those same found parts, 

in other cases casting more practical substitutes using lighter materials.

The stop-motion footage was shot in a chroma-key set, and the takes were then composed in 

After Effects over a digital scenario, made of textures and patterns taken from actual 

photographs of the streets of our hometown São Paulo.

Credits

• Creative Director: Mateus de Paula Santos
• Head of Production: Loic Francois Marie Dubois
• Producer: João Tenório
• Design/Animation: Carlos Bêla, Raquel Falkenbach, Diogo Kalil, Roger Marmo
• Screenplay: Michael Arms, Guilherme Marcondes, João Tenório
• Storyboard: Cadu Macedo
• Editing: João Tenório, Carlos Bêla
• Flame Post Production: Daniel Mattos
• Sound Effects: Paulo Beto
• Lead Stop Motion Animator: Michael Arms
• Animation Assistant: Marcelo A M Pereira
• Puppet Construction: Gustavo de Magalhães
• Technician: Iara Furuse Abigalil
• Set Production: Ana Paula Garroux
• Set Cinematographer: Paulo De Tarso

Coca Cola Magnificent 5 - Caviar Towa Tei Asia

This was the promo video directed by Caviar for the Coke M5 series. 
Music: "Milky Way" by Towa Tei.

The Conception of the bottle design
Coke requested that the bottle design should have some connection with the M5 short film.
Therefore we took design motifs from the story of our film Milky Way, the special 
elements, and then reworked them for the final bottle design.

Milky Way
The title of our film is Milky Way. We had total creative freedom apart from the overall theme
for the short film, which was " to make a better world". The characters of our short film
each have a letter from the English alphabet on their heads. Like a crossword puzzle,
the characters change their positions within the story, in formations that start to make 
words or messages. At the end, the group joins together and a visual image of the celestial swan
is formed. We think that the same thing is seen in our everyday relationships. A person
meet a new person, and starts communicating. Then a network spreads out, and the new 
relationship makes something creatively new.

The idea came to me when i visited the Grand Canyon in the USA around four years ago,
At sunset, people of various races  were taking photos, one after another. This was a
moving sight and made me feel peaceful. When i developed the story for our short film,
that feeling of peace inspired me a lot.

Cool & Fresh
I could meet with the other M5 members in Paris and Atlanta. All the other creators
were gentle and friendly. and love drinking. Like me, everyone loved design. I could
feel that we were able to communicate with visual expression, going beyond borders
and the difference of languages. It has been really encouraging to me as it emphasizes
the purpose of creating visual.