Entertainment

Global Partnership Combines Music Expertise, Innovative Technology and Massive Global Reach to Share Music With the World NEW YORK/ATLANTA - Spotify and Coca-Cola today announced a multifaceted strategic partnership that combines the global scale and reach of Coca-Cola with Spotify's music technology platform to give consumers around the world unprecedented access to the music they love. The partnership will help fans discover new music, connect with other music lovers around the world and seamlessly share their experiences with friends both online and offline. "Coca-Cola is the most recognized and respected brand in the world and we are proud to be their music partner," said Daniel Ek, Founder and CEO, Spotify. "Spotify and Coca-Cola both believe that music, technology and creativity can connect people around the globe." "At Coca-Cola we have long recognized the power of music to connect people around the world," said Joe Belliotti, Director, Global Entertainment Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company. "As we step up our activation through Coca-Cola Music, we are excited by the innovative music technology platform created by Spotify and the opportunity to create a truly global music network. The potential for this partnership is limitless." Under the terms of the agreement, Spotify will be the key underlying technology for Coca-Cola Music globally, supporting the brand's mission to provide consumers universal access to music. In addition, Coca-Cola will integrate Spotify into its Facebook presence and Timeline, creating a seamless social music experience. This partnership takes advantage of the existing Spotify relationship with Facebook and the Coca-Cola Facebook audience of over 40 million fans to create a social experience that will reach millions of interconnected consumers around the world. Music has been a big part of how Coca-Cola has engaged and built relationships with teen consumers throughout its 126 year history -- from branded sheet music in the late 19 th century to sponsoring radio shows to creating anthems for the brand's marketing programs around global sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup. In recent years, with technology enabling the access and sharing of music on a global scale, Coca-Cola has accelerated the activation of music programs. Supporting that legacy will be a key focus for Coca-Cola in 2013 and beyond with a commitment to giving fans around the world universal access to music. Under the terms of the new agreement, Spotify and Coca-Cola will be dedicated global partners in 2013 for a new campaign to be unveiled later in the year. As part of the partnership, Coca-Cola will also leverage the Spotify API and platform to reach music enthusiasts through various applications -- the first of which was built by independent developers during a two-day Spotify/Coca-Cola "hacker den" held in New York City on April 14-15. The new app will be unveiled for the 2012 Olympics in London. Now available in 13 countries, Spotify is continuing its rapid worldwide expansion. The final component of the partnership will support that mission by creating unique consumer experiences around the globe that are fueled by music in both new and existing Spotify markets. Coca-Cola will also partner with Spotify as it launches its music service in new markets throughout 2012 and into 2013. For more information on Spotify please visit www.spotify.com. About The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please http://www.coca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo. About Spotify Spotify is an award-winning digital music service that gives you on-demand access to millions of tracks. Spotify makes it easier than ever to discover, manage and share music with your friends, while making sure that artists get a fair deal. Since its launch in Sweden in 2008, Spotify has become the largest and most successful music service of its kind, with over 10 million active users and over 3 million paying subscribers. Spotify is now available in thirteen countries around the world: US, UK, Sweden, France, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany.

Urban artists, DJs, F1® drivers and action sports athletes collaborate in a creative collision, culminating in burn Yard™ Live event in Budapest LONDON, Monday June 10, 2013 Imagine the most forward-thinking DJs collaborating with leading street artists, world-class action sports athletes and Lotus F1® Team drivers. This is burn Yard™, a new creative program from burn, which will encourage leading innovators from art, music and sport to collaborate and form a cross-culture collective. The results of the collaboration will be showcased at burn Yard™ Live, the first in a series of live events which will take place in Budapest on July 26, 2013. Housed in an ex-industrial building in the city, the theme of burn Yard™ Live will be to bring a new creative energy to discarded and obsolete objects and make them beautiful again. Transforming the space through sculpture and street art, burn Yard™ Live will bring a new lease of life to the abandoned building, climaxing in performances from some of world’s most sought after DJs.  The artists joining the burn Yard™ Collective are forward thinkers and creative leaders in their own fields. Members include international DJ Avicii, street artist M-City, conceptual artist Gerry Judah, skateboarder Rune Glifberg and Lotus F1® Team driver Kimi Räikkönen. They will work together by testing new creative fusions to inspire people across the world. Highlights of the burn Yard™ program include Avicii and Lotus F1® Team working on a groundbreaking new track incorporating the passion of F1®. Judah and Glifberg will design an interactive sculpture to be used by the world’s best skateboarders, which will be the centerpiece for burn Yard™ Live. Gerry Judah commented: “I’m pleased to have a young guy like Rune keeping me on my toes.  He speaks his own language in terms of art, passion and creativity and I speak mine.  No one can say how well these languages will come together but burn is taking a risk as we collaborate to create a structure which bears the mark of two very different men.”  M-City said: “In my country, Poland, street art has a very long history.  At first, it was to give a political message but now street art has become more and more expressive.  It can be hard to collaborate sometimes because I have my own expressive style so working with burn and the other guys will be a real experiment of creativity.”  burn Yard™ Live, in Budapest, will be a public event where people can live the fusion of music, art and sports. Throughout the year, burn will produce an inspirational video documentary to tell the story of burn Yard™. This will demonstrate how the Collective has been working together to produce innovative creative projects. The challenges and triumphs of their collaborations will be told through this inspirational documentary. To apply for tickets to attend burn Yard™ Live in Budapest, go to www.burnyardbudapest.com. The burn Yard™ program aims to nurture and inspire creative talent and provide a platform to showcase groundbreaking ideas.  - ENDS - Notes to Editors About the Collective AviciiWhat Avicii and his manager Ash Pournouri have managed in a few years is astonishing. Beginning his career at 18, the self-taught, fresh-faced Swede that is Avicii has had greater success at 22 than most could ever hope for in a lifetime. With chart-toppers such as Seek Bromance, My Feelings For You, Fade into Darkness, Silhouettes and LE7ELS, Avicii has, since 2008, risen from bedroom music-maker to international superstar. He has headlined Ultra Music Festival with Madonna, completed a $1 million charity tour with his manager Ash Pournouri, done an exclusive collaboration with Ralph Lauren: Denim & Supply and embarked on one of the biggest Electronic Dance Music arena tours to date. Avicii now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the most in-demand and elite artists on the planet. M-CityMariusz Waras, known professionally as M-City is Poland's best-known street artist renowned for his for his work within public spheres.  Intrigued by industrial spaces and their surroundings, M-City creates large-scale murals  - some up to 85 metres long, taking his inspiration from the factories, hydroelectric plants, chimneys, and cranes that dominate his native town.   Gerry JudahGerry Judah is one of the world's leading installation artists. He has created settings for the BBC, British Museum, Imperial War Museum, performers including Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, The Who, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and has worked in a number of theatre productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera as well as creating spectacular sculptures for the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed and bridges in London and Cambridge. Amongst a number of commissions from public museums and institutions, Gerry has produced a highly acclaimed body of large three-dimensional paintings exploring the devastations of war and the ravages man has made upon the environment, many of which have entered international public and private collections. Rune GlifbergUniversally recognized as one of the true legends of the sport and one of the most stylish and progressive skaters on the planet, Danish skater Rune Glifberg brought his skills and experience to burn’s new skate program, as team founder and mentor. “Adding burn to my list of sponsors is an honor and a privilege. It opens up new doors and opportunities for my career, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to join the burn skateboard team.”- Rune Glifberg Kimi RäikkönenKimi Räikkönen burst onto the Formula 1 scene in 2001 and was quickly recognised as a star for the future. After finishing as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship to Michael Schumacher in 2003 and again to Fernando Alonso in 2005, he finally took the title in 2007 at the very last race of the year. After a two year hiatus from the sport in 2010/2011, Kimi announced his return to Formula 1 with Lotus F1 Team for the 2012 season and instantly demonstrated the skill and technique which have seen him rated as one of the most natural talents of a generation; seven podium finishes – including victory at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – seeing him clinch P3 in the Drivers’ Championship during his comeback year. Picking up where he left in 2012, the Iceman currently occupies P2 in the Driver’s Championship having taken four podiums from the opening five races in 2013; including an emphatic victory at the season opening Australian Grand Prix. About burn BURN® energy drink is a category leader in the global energy drink explosion. The red formula is a symbol of active fire that provides drinkers with the energy needed to leave their original vision on the world. Dismantling category norms, consumers embody a live-out-loud mentality, without fear of boundaries created by society. Burn is a brand of The Coca-Cola Company. Burn is available in over 80 countries worldwide. About The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com. For more information please contact the burn team at Cake on 0207 307 3136.

Half a century of the Bundesliga has produced a host of superstars, including Toni Schumacher, Lothar Matthäus, Sepp Maier, Jupp Heynckes, Diego and Lukas Podolski. What would happen if some of these outstanding footballers of the last five decades were to meet in one game? Coke Zero has made the impossible, possible. With commenting by the legendary Frank Buschmann, this ad makes the heart of any football fan beat a little faster. August 24, 1963 is the day that a legend, the Bundesliga, was born with a match that pitted Borussia Dortmund against Werder Bremen. The very first goal of the day, scored by BVB player Timo Konietzka just 58 seconds into play, is a story that has been re-told countless times in the 50 years since it happened. It’s hard to understand in an age when there are dozens of TV cameras covering every game but there wasn’t a single photographer to capture Konietzka’s historic goal. It’s a moment that lives today only because it has been passed on by those who were in the stadium that day. Today the Bundesliga is a premium brand with a global following. It's been 50 years filled with radiant winners, tragic heroes and inconsolable losers. The German football league has compiled the highlights on their jubilee website 50 Jahr Bundesliga. 

Last September I attended the Global Citizen Festival- a massive advocacy concert held by the Global Poverty Project (GPP) in Central Park, New York to coincide with the General Assembly. The event brought together 60,000 change makers, and artists like Neil Young with Crazy Horse, the Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, John Legend, Band of Horses and K’NAAN. Run in partnership with top charities, the event helped secure $1.3 billion in commitments for projects helping fight extreme poverty. Also, people at the concert earned their way in by taking action through the Global Citizen platform.  The event was undoubtedly heard around the globe – proving to be the largest ever live streamed syndicated charity concert in history. Since this festival the world continues to question: What is next from GPP and how will they continue to build this immense movement aimed to eliminate extreme poverty within our lifetime? Each day I am personally moved by their impact but also wholly impressed by their ability to engage people by building awareness around complex issues such as women’s empowerment, water stewardship, and environmental sustainability. In doing so, they ultimately increase the number and effectiveness of people of taking actions. Hugh Evans, founder of GPP who was recently named by Forbes as “the” leading global social entrepreneur in “30 Under 30” All Changing Your World Right Now, was recently at our Coca-Cola offices in Atlanta alluding to an exciting announcement. Unsurprisingly, it has blown us away! Just this month GPP launched Global Citizen Tickets -- putting a pool of more than 20,000 tickets from over 70 artists & Festivals up for draw on Global Citizen to incentivize social activism. Users take action – from signing a petition to sharing content on Facebook, earn points, and use those points to enter the draw for concert tickets in their city. Some of the artists committed to the movement include…The names behind the artists, many of them fierce competitors, are now joining forces in a way the music industry has never seen. This ground-breaking approach is true testament to the purity of this cause and power of the Global Citizen platform. Hugh and GPP team, we look forward to the many more revolutionary announcements to come. Keep inspiring us through this movement! Sign up at http://www.globalcitizen.org/.Katelyn Carey is a Marketing Coordinator for the EKOCYCLE team at The Coca-Cola Company.More Related StoriesFrom Africa to Coca-Cola: Giving Voice to a Movement Ending Global PovertyThe Making of a NYC Concert: 'Nothing Happens Unless First a Dream'The Fight Against Human Trafficking Gets PersonalWhy Doing Good Is Good for BusinessMalehlonoholo Moleko: The Making of an Entrepreneur

Second season of the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge open to aspiring designers nationwideAtlanta, May 16, 2013 – Extraordinary style isn’t limited to high-fashion runways or design studios. Look around any office, college campus or city block and you’ll see people with a passion for fashion and an eye for design getting creative and having fun with their individual style.To celebrate the spirit of independent stylists and fashionistas everywhere, Diet Coke is launching the second season of its annual Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge – an opportunity of a lifetime for a style maven to become the next great fashion designer. Diet Coke is the number one calorie-free brand and number two beverage in the country behind Coca-Cola.The brand is inviting creative individuals to submit a Diet Coke-branded T-shirt design inspired by the extraordinary style of its new partner Taylor Swift for the chance to have their original creation featured in all U.S. Target stores this fall. Fans can submit their design through May 31 at DietCoke.com/DesignerChallenge.While submissions were only accepted from students at select design schools last year, the fashionable twist in 2013 is that anyone in the U.S. with a creative and inspired idea can submit a Diet Coke T-shirt design.Adding to the excitement, acclaimed fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, along with the top creative minds at Diet Coke and Target, will select the winning Diet Coke T-shirt design. The judges will select the top design from a pool of 10 finalists, which will be determined from an online public vote in June.“The Diet Coke brand is the epitome of style, and I’m delighted to be involved in this unique design challenge as a judge,” said Minkoff. “As someone who took a chance and moved to New York to chase a dream, I can’t wait to join Diet Coke and Taylor Swift to support a young, talented individual in pursuing their own dreams.”In addition to having his or her design available in the soft drink aisle in all U.S. Target stores beginning September 1, the grand-prize winner also will receive a $10,000 cash prize to pursue creative endeavors, plus a fly-away trip to meet Swift at one of her final U.S. RED Tour stops in Nashville, Tenn., this September.“Season two of the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge gives all of our fans the extraordinary opportunity to make their dreams of becoming the next big designer a reality,” said Erik Jenkins, Diet Coke Brand Manager. “We’re excited to see how fans infuse the aspirational and modern Diet Coke brand and Taylor’s chic style into their design submissions.”Fans interested in submitting a T-shirt design can visit DietCoke.com/DesignerChallenge to view inspirational photos and contest rules, download hi-res assets and learn more about the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge. Budding designers also will find creative inspiration from a video featuring Swift sharing her thoughts on personal style and how she approaches fashion. T-shirt designs must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, May 31.The top 20 designs will be posted online at DietCoke.com/DesignerChallenge beginning June 16. Through June 30, people who vote for their favorite Diet Coke T-shirt design will have the opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Nashville, Tenn., this September to meet Swift and attend one of the final concerts on her U.S. RED Tour.The grand-prize winner of the contest will be announced later this summer. To encourage the talented finalists to continue pursuing their creative passions, two runners-up also selected by Minkoff and the judging panel each will receive $2,500. The remaining 17 finalists will receive $250 each. The winner of the 2012 Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge was Gustavo Alonso, an up-and-coming design student at Miami International University of Art and Design, who wowed the judging panel with his design featuring a mysterious woman in a chic, red trench coat.About The Coca-Cola CompanyThe Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo. About Taylor SwiftLauded by The New York Times as "one of the most important pop artists of the last decade," and by Rolling Stone as "one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days," 23 year-old Taylor Swift is a seven-time GRAMMY winner, and is the youngest winner in history of the music industry's highest honor, the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. With the 2012 release of her album RED, she is the only female artist in music history (and just the fourth artist ever) to twice have an album hit the 1 million first-week sales figure. She holds the record for the biggest digital sales week ever for a song by a woman, and for the second-largest song sales week overall, as well as the worldwide iTunes record for highest ever first-week album sales. With RED, Taylor became the first artist since the Beatles (and the only female artist in history) to log six or more weeks at #1 with three consecutive studio albums. Taylor has an album on Rolling Stone's prestigious The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women) list, and Time magazine has named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is Billboard's youngest-ever Woman of the Year, and her more than 100 industry award wins have included the American Music Awards' Artist of the Year, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year and three European Music Awards. Taylor, who writes all of her own songs, has career record sales in excess of 26 million albums and 75 million song downloads worldwide, and her two most recent albums are two of only 18 albums in the entire history of music to sell more than 1 million copies in a single week. She has had singles top both the country and pop radio charts around the globe, and has thus far scored 13 #1 singles across multiple radio formats. She is one of the top 5-selling digital music artists worldwide, and is the top-selling digital artist in country music history. About Rebecca MinkoffWith a vision of building a lifestyle brand for the downtown romantic, San Diego-born designer Rebecca Minkoff founded her company in 2001 after she developed a small apparel line. She spent the next few years working on the small collection until 2005 when Rebecca developed the “Morning After Bag”. The bag became an overnight sensation and Rebecca began solely concentrating on developing additional styles to build out her romantically themed day-to-night handbag collection. After four years of consistent growth in accessories under her belt, Rebecca returned to her original love of apparel design and introduced a ready-to-wear collection in 2009. Rebecca Minkoff’s designs are a favorite for modern, trend-setting everyday women and celebrities alike. About TargetMinneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,832 stores – 1,784 in the United States and 48 in Canada – and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/corporateresponsibility. # # #

For as long as we can remember, we have been a Coca-Cola family.  Maybe it is because we are from Atlanta or maybe because family dinners are a Seacrest tradition, but Coca-Cola has always had a presence in our house and even in our Christmas Cards.Being a family of traditions, it only seems fitting that many years later, including a move across the country (Meredith and Ryan now live in Los Angeles,) Coca-Cola is still a part of our lives.  It was, in fact, a meal around the dinner table that led to a brainstorming about how Ryan and our family could give back and ultimately led to a partnership with Coca-Cola. Over the years, Ryan has visited numerous children’s hospitals. He was always so touched by his experiences with the patients and wanted to create something that had a lasting impact for the hospital community.  The brainstorm over dinner led to many (many) more conversations and ended with the creation of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education focused initiatives. The first initiative is to build broadcast media centers, named Seacrest Studios, within pediatric hospitals.  Our aim is to contribute positively to the healing process for children and their families during their stay by developing these centers to bring an uplifting spirit to the hospital community.  We believe access to multimedia experiences will bring patients exciting and stimulating adventures to encourage optimistic thoughts during treatment. When we initially took on this project, we are the first to admit, we were learning as we went along. We had a clear vision of what we wanted to build and understood the potential it had, but had never done anything like this before.  Ryan has always had a special relationship with Coca-Cola throughout his career, so it seemed only fitting that we reached out to the Company, not only for their support, but also, guidance. We were thrilled when we were given the opportunity to explain what we were looking to accomplish. From that moment on we like to say that the Coca-Cola family adopted ours.  We were set up with the Company’s community marketing team and quickly learned all about creating meaningful and lasting guiding principles. We then moved on to marketing strategy, so we could come up with an image and brand identity that really represented our vision and mission.  All in all, Coca-Cola truly invested in the future of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation in more ways than one. It is important to us to work with partners that truly believe in what we are doing as much as we do.  We found that in Coca-Cola. Since day one, the Company has been there for us, and continues to be there three years later. Since 2010, our foundation has now built Seacrest Studios at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s Medical Center in Dallas and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.  We have plans to build at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital within 2013-14. We will have even more hospital partnerships to announce soon.To sum it all up, it is because of Coca-Cola and its continued support that we are able to not only do something we love every day, but do it together, much like our family dinners.Thanks for helping spread happiness,The SeacrestsGary, Meredith, Ryan and ConnieMore Stories:American Idol Microphone Tours the Nation (Video)5 Things You Don't Know About American Idol and Coca-ColaMusic That Moves: Watch Taylor Swift's New Diet Coke AdMusic From Coke Zero TV Spot Wins Gold

Coke Zero challenged unsuspecting train passengers to unlock the 007 in them for their chance to win exclusive tickets for the new James Bond movie SKYFALL. However, the exclusive tickets weren't free. People had to go the extra mile and unlock their inner 007 in less than 70 seconds to win. To find out more about #CokeZero007 : http://www.facebook.com/cokezero Check out the behind the scenes! http://youtu.be/it1SU-w-mI8

From Boston to Mumbai, Diet Coke has been quenching thirst for 30 years, and its fans are a wildly enthusiastic bunch. The amber-colored bubbly has inspired everything from graffiti to jewelry to a video featuring the experiments of two madcap scientists that has been viewed on YouTube more than 15 million times. Clearly it’s more than a beverage, it’s an iconic marker on our cultural landscape. It has also been a long-time favorite of the fashion-forward pack. So it’s no wonder that they teamed with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to challenge fashion students nationwide to create a limited-edition T-shirt to be sold in Target stores. Called the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge, hundreds of up-and-comers sent in entries. The grand prize, selected by renowned designers Cynthia Rowley, Zac Posen and L’Wren Scott, went to a young man who spent his childhood dreaming not of Seventh Avenue, but of a surgical suite. From Doctor-to-Be to Marine to Design Student Born and raised in Cuba, Gustavo Alonso spent as much time studying English as he did hanging out with his friends. A determined kid from the start, he knew that one day he’d move to the United States, and when that day came he wanted to be ready. He was 10 when he and his mother packed their bags (his parents split when he was young), and he calls his arrival in Miami an equal mix of fear and excitement. “I had grown up in a big city,” he says of his native Havana, “but nothing could have prepared me. It was overwhelming.” After the initial bout of culture shock, Alonso says it didn’t take him long to think big. “I always thought I’d be a doctor,” Alonso says now, laughing at the memory. “My only interest in fashion was that I made pretty elaborate Halloween costumes. Like one year I was an Egyptian pharaoh. I mean, my mother was a seamstress and I used to watch her make clothes, but I didn’t think of it as a career.” Alonso excelled in his studies; upon graduating high school he enlisted in the United States Marines Corps in order to pave his way to college. “After boot camp I was stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina,” he says. “I was the personal clerk for the commander of our base. I just felt so lucky to have a job that I loved.” Alonso served four years, and then moved back to Miami to consider his options. He calls his decision to trade in a stethoscope for a sewing machine the result of a subtle shift in thinking, an inkling that his interest in fashion could one day develop into real passion. That passion was realized as soon as Alonso enrolled at the Miami International University for Art and Design. “The first class I took was pattern making, and right away it felt right,” he says. There were lots of contests that Alonso heard about — he says his teachers were always encouraging students to enter their designs — but winning proved elusive. “I entered all of them!” Alonso exclaims. “The same thing always happened, I’d get selected as a finalist but I’d never win the prize.” Alonso, undeterred, approached the Diet Coke challenge with his customary gusto. His winning design — a woman wearing a chic, red trench-style coat — was inspired by a pink coat he designed and made for his tailoring class. “When I started sketching ideas for the Diet Coke shirt, I knew I wanted to use the coat, but right away changed the color to red. I felt it was strong and sexy. My idea was simple — I wanted every woman to see it and say, ‘I want to be that girl in the red coat.’” Getting Major Recognition Mission accomplished. Erik Jenkins, Diet Coke's brand manager of Diet Coke, says Alonso's design really connected with consumers. “His dramatic take, featuring a mysterious woman in that vivid red coat, had an undeniable allure. His design set the tone for why Diet Coke is more than just a refreshing beverage. It’s an extraordinary fashion statement.” Apart from winning a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to New York for a glam launch party hosted by Glamour magazine, Alonso says he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of adoration from friends and fans alike. “People kept texting me photos of my shirt displayed at different Target stores across the country,” he says. “It has been one of the best experiences of my life. I graduate in March 2013, and I can only hope that I’ll have the opportunity to work for a great designer. Maybe one day I’ll be fortunate enough to have my own line, or see one of my dresses at the Oscars.” What does Alonso say of his passion for fashion now? He doesn’t hesitate. “Obsession is more like it!” To learn more about the judging of the T-shirt — which debuted at Target on September 8, 2012 — watch the video below. More Entertainment Stories:Marc Jacobs Reveals Collection for Diet Coke in LondonThe Secret History of Charlie Brown's ChristmasNot-So-Strange Laws

It’s the 30th anniversary of Diet Coke in Europe this year and on Monday this week we held an event to celebrate our partnership with designer Marc Jacobs as creative director. Despite the freezing weather, people travelled from across Europe to London to see the first reveal of the limited edition bottles and to hear Marc discuss his inspiration for the campaign. After months of planning, it’s an exciting moment for the Diet Coke team! We started the event by showing a film that Marc stars in for Diet Coke. In the film, three women were invited to join him on a fashion journey through the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s – the three decades since the launch of Diet Coke. After a brief pause all eyes focused on the stage and after an exciting teaser video the curtain dropped to reveal three giant versions of the bottles Marc had created for us – each inspired by a different decade – alongside the designer himself.After a Q&A session with Marc, where he discussed his inspiration for the designs, his views on different trends and his love of Diet Coke, we had a quick look online and saw already the first mentions appearing – it’s a great feeling to see positive feedback from Diet Coke fans. At that point we switched off the laptop and enjoyed the rest of the evening – a night of food, drinks and entertainment inspired by the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s!See below for a video capturing the night's excitement. Rob Bayne is Senior Brand Manager for Diet Coke in North West Europe and Nordics.More Entertainment Stories:Unlock the 007 in you. You have 70 seconds!The Former Marine Who Won the Diet Coke Young Designer ChallengeMusic That Moves: Watch Taylor Swift's New Diet Coke Ad

Whistling--This is generally not a crime. But if it’s heard after 11 PM and more than one hundred feet away, it’s illegal in Athens GA. Well, sort of. Law enforcement officials say the ordinance is really meant for all human made LOUD noises… especially parties. This is just one of many laws across the country taken out of context by strange law websites. Georgia judge Charles Auslander says it doesn’t surprise him how laws get twisted. “From the way that it's written, to the way that somebody thinks it’s written, to what they tell their friend, to what is on the Internet--I mean that doesn’t surprise me at all.” Strange laws spread by word of mouth and on the Internet… but what is spread may not be exactly what is on the books. Judge Auslander says what most people consider “strange laws” are really just antiquated or misconceptions of the real law. For example, sites like dumblaws.com list odd local laws in each U.S. state. Laws like: it’s illegal to give away a goldfish to entice someone to play Bingo in Athens GA; it's unlawful to raise rats in Billings Montana; and it's illegal for any person in El Monte California to use a pinball machine.Judge Auslander says even if these laws are taken somewhat out of context, they do not affect laws typically enforced. “I think that people need to realize these laws were enacted at a time when things were different and so it shouldn’t surprise people that maybe back years and years ago somebody felt they were important.  But I don’t think it takes away from the laws that people expect to be enforced today.” But many so-called strange laws originate from laws still enforced today, says Athens-Clarke Commissioner Kelly Girtz. Take for example the goldfish and bingo law. Dumblaws.com says that in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, “Goldfish may not be given away to entice someone to enter a game of bingo.” However, the full text of the “Animal Giveaway” ordinance reads: “No person in Athens-Clarke County shall give away any live animal, fish, reptile or bird as a prize for, or as an inducement to enter, any contest, game, or other competition, or as an inducement to enter a place of amusement, or offer such animal as an incentive to enter into any business agreement whereby the offer was for the purpose of attracting trade.” Girtz says this law as it stands today is not about free fish and bingo. He says he believes it has to do with more serious issues like chicken and dog fighting. “Unfortunately and this is really unfortunately, we’ve actually still had violations of that code. So I haven’t heard of any fish fighting… but some cock fighting and dog fighting.” Strange laws do exist… but law enforcement officials say they are not usually enforced.  Additionally, several U.S. states have begun the process of removing antiquated laws. Girtz says these laws may say seem strange now, but at one time they addressed a public concern. States including Oklahoma and New Jersey, are working to repeal, modernize, and clarify any outdated laws and/or laws that have “lost their meaning.” In the meantime, Girtz advises people to do their research. Many laws listed on the Internet are just outdated… or not as strange as you think. Meagan Priselac is Coca-Cola Journey's first student contributor and a fourth-year student at the University of Georgia where she is majoring in Digital & Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Geography. Though Priselac is a South Carolina transplant, she still calls the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania home.  Upon graduation, Priselac plans on following her passion for videography, photography, and reporting into a broadcast journalism career. She also wrote "The Story Behind Reporting on Strange Laws" on Coca-Cola Journey.More Blog Posts by Meagan Priselac:The Story Behind Reporting on Strange LawsReal-Life Challenges of a Student ReporterFacing the Music: College Radio Fading Out

The legal system… it’s a loaded and complex topic to fully and correctly understand in the first place. But reporting on the subject matter, amps the complexity to a whole new level. This was by far the most difficult story I have ever covered. From nailing down the right story angle, to fact checking, to filming interesting “b-roll footage,” I continuously tried to wrap my brain around how it would all come together. The story angle changed directions multiple times. At first I planned to discuss the existence of strange laws across the US. But that’s been done... over and over again. From there it morphed into why strange laws are still on the books, before it eventually became the story it is now. Fact checking had much to do with the development of this story. Initially, I was overwhelmed with all of these “strange,” “stupid”, and “dumb” laws listed on the Internet. But as I investigated these laws in more depth, I realized several of them weren’t that strange after all. In fact, many of the “strange” laws found on websites like dumblaws.com, are not the same as laws found on the books. VWAH-LAH! I had a story.But there was still the daunting task to find compelling “b-roll footage.” The undertaking honestly felt like a wild goose chase, resulting in no goose.  Journalists work to tell a visual story in their news packages. The ultimate visual goal is to find footage that goes hand in hand with the story topic. Like showing a cop when you mention law enforcement officials, etc. But it’s easier said than done. When you think of the law you think of a courthouse, law books, and even a courtroom. But these topics are only so interesting to film. Let alone watch as a viewer. In fact, they are well… boring. Yes, B-O-R-I-N-G. So therein lies the challenge, to create something new, interesting, and different.  A challenge only attained through creativity and good ole fashion hard work. Meagan Priselac is Coca-Cola Journey's first student contributor and a fourth-year student at the University of Georgia where she is majoring in Digital & Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Geography. Though Priselac is a South Carolina transplant, she still calls the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania home.  Upon graduation, Priselac plans on following her passion for videography, photography, and reporting into a broadcast journalism career. More Blog Posts by Meagan Priselac:Not-So-Strange LawsReal-Life Challenges of a Student ReporterFacing the Music: College Radio Fading Out