The work of the Remix artists reflects various styles, personalities and cultures and the project shows how vibrantly creative the collaboration of a design network can be.
The diverse backgrounds of the contributing artists have resulted in a multifaceted world of imagery that draws its freshness from the mixture of approaches. Their mission is to spread an optimistic look at the world and help people realize how contagious happiness is. By combining iconic Coca-Cola images with up-to-date illustration techniques and styles, the artists have given rise to a progressive style of visual expression.

Designed within the “Coke Side of Life” concept and format, the Remix artworks are colorful explosions of positive thinking.
The experimental, playful and humorous collages of historical Coca-Cola milestone images are a true tribute to the brands unique and undying creative spirit.

Photography by RWDave, Russell+, Slimmer_Jimmer, Simpson_eh, Bergs Eye View, Hallywoods, Owizard (Flickr). All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT ROCKANDROLL AGENCY

RockAndRoll Agency is a full-cycle communication agency offering marketing services, strategic development and art direction. RockAndRoll Agency was founded in 2003 by Jean-Philippe Noterman and Wouter De Coster. Jean-Philippe studied philosophy/anthropology, Wouter has a background as fashion designer. Before starting RockAndRoll Agency, they worked already together for 5 years in the publishing and communication business.

RockAndRoll Agency has worked for clients as various as The Coca-Cola Group, Nokia, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Schott NY, Motorola, Hugo Boss Fragrances…
RockAndRoll Agency is dedicated to the production of visual identity design, graphic animation and websites. As art buyers and curators, RRA is always looking for artists with strong ideas and an individual voice.

ARTIST PORTRAIT
Illustrators, designers, stylists, painters, creators of artefacts, web artists, photographers, … Caos Comunicacion Creativa, based in Barcelona, is the studio that links the most diverse talents. Founders Christian Borau and Maria Duran got their start in the graphic world in the late nineties. Being art directors for famous clubs as Palm Beach, Cube and Zoom, fashion labels Chupa Chups, Anata Sesa, Caliu and Group, they got their Caos flyers, posters and fashion prints posted everywhere.
With their online community project Urban Freezone, Caos wants to create a bridge between urban artists from all-over the world. The Freezone project and other Caos initiatives arise from a desire to approach, update and expand today’s visual languages: “We want to be on the cutting-edge of the latest trends in style and appearance, if possible offering innovative solutions and using new graphic styles, without losing sight of our principal objective, which is that the message should be clear and accessible.”

Caos CC for Zoom Club

INTERVIEW

WHAT IS CAOS CC ALL ABOUT? WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS NAME?
Caos Creative Communication was founded in 2002 by Christian Borau and Maria Duran. We are working with a wild & wide bunch of friends and collaborators on graphic, web and art projects for our own clients and some agencies.
The name fits our way of working very well: it’s all about accumulation and composition. We also like the theory that chaos is not really a disorder, it’s just a more complex and spontaneous order.

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE?
Sometimes a painter or illustrator. And at other times a musician or actor. The most important was that is was something artistic…

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?
Already from the time I was a child, I love all kind of creative expressions, and especially music and drawing. Of course it helped that I had artistic minded parents. My father was a musician, and my mother sent me to an Anthroposophy school in Germany where I got a good primal art education. Later I studied comic style drawing in the Joso School of Barcelona. Two years later I started graphic design studies at the same school.
I made a Master of Multimedia and worked in printing, as a graphic designer and later as an Art Director at Miquel Roig Associates, a small studio with big clients. I left to become a freelancer, and later I created Caos together with Maria.

Caos CC for Relevant Magazine

Caos CC for Tibetan Toybox

WHAT SPARKS YOUR IDEAS?
Sketching a lot, the music I like, good art magazines, the work of other artists, …

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS A DESIGNER?
To be creative all as long as I live!

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF WHAT YOU DO?
The best part is definitely the freewheeling part. I like to expand one graphic identity to different supports. It’s like when a painter makes a series of paintings with the same style or concept.

CAN YOU GIVE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON YOUR ‘COCA-COLA’ “MUSIC IS LOVE” POSTER?
The central image of the kiss is actually a self portrait. The artwork was vectorized from a photo of me and my wife Maria Duran (the other part of Caos). We’re both great music lovers, and for us this poster is very special!

‘Coca-Cola’ Remix – “Music Is Love” by Caos CC

CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE ALSO A WELL-KNOWN DJ, WHAT IS THE MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO WHILE WORKING?
I like to listen to a lot of different styles of music; it’s the only way to have a total music experience. I´m a huge fan of Prince and The Cure. When I struggle with a new design, that’s the kind of music I put on. But I also like the unique and very special statements of Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, Bauhaus, Bob Marley and Keith Jarret.
I also like to listen to flamenco/fusion artists like El Bicho, Macaco, Ojos de Brujo or Camaron. Or classical music. When I’m in a mood for electronic sounds, I listen to Thom Yorke, Depeche Mode and Amon Tobin or other Ninja Tune artists.

Caos CC for Palm Beach

IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR ARTIST YOU ADMIRE A LOT?
Definitely Prince! I like his attitude as an artist, and how he deals with the music business and fashion trends. He is always modern, he never limits himself to one style of music, he gives the impression that the music just flows out. I saw him in concert 4 times, and each time was amazing. His magnetism is enormous. Prince makes it possible to experiment a completely improvised jam session in a concert hall packed with thousands of people.

HOW WAS IT TO WORK ON NEW VECTORS, BASED ON ICONIC ‘COCA-COLA’ IMAGES?
When we got contacted to work on the Remix project, we were really happy because ‘Coca-Cola’ is a very interesting brand to work for. It’s a company with a very rich history in the world of art and advertising and with a very special emphasis in music.
In our posters we used vector elements from other Remix artists, and artists as Creative XL and Pixecute remixed some of our illustrations. It was very cool to exchange material. It was a very interesting experience to work with such a range of great artists, all with a different vision and style.

‘Coca-Cola’ Remix – “Shampoo Girls”
by Caos CC & RockAndRoll Agency

“Coca-Cola’ Remix – “Sisters are doin’ it”
by Caos CC & RockAndRoll Agency

‘Coca-Cola’ Remix – “Summer Day” by Caos CC & RockAndRoll Agency

Vintage Coca-Cola Football Ads

‘Coca-Cola’ Remix by Creative XL

‘Coca-Cola’ Remix by Pixecute

In 1888, Asa G. Candler, an Atlanta businessman and druggist, purchased the rights to the product and later formed the corporation “The ‘Coca-Cola’ Company.” Candler firmly believed in the importance of advertising. He distributed thousands of complimentary tickets for free glasses of ‘Coca-Cola’. He also pushed promoting the beverage on outdoor posters, calendars, soda fountain urns, and even wall murals (a precursor to the nationwide use of billboards in 1925). His philosophy was to stimulate the desire for ‘Coca-Cola’ in as many ways and as much as possible, and then have it readily available everywhere.

ARTIST PORTRAIT
Karoly Kiralyfalvi has been involved in street-art since his teen years, “As a kid, I was always interested in visual arts, but the main influence came from my father, who was a painter, a poet and a sculptor. Pencils and markers were always my tools, until one day my father bought our first computer. Computer graphics have been my passion ever since”. As a teenager, Karoly became part of the local scene and under the name Extraverage, he made a name for himself. With his great skills, he mixes different styles and art languages in a powerful way. His work includes design for stickers, cans, clocks, magazines, books, posters, boards, tracksuits and t-shirts. Karoly is especially interested in design and images that stand on their own: bold, simple and strong!
Karoly is also the man behind projects like the World Wide Connections PDF Magazine and the Print4Street urban art gallery, and the founder of Drezign.hu, a community platform for Hungarian designers. Extraverage.net, his personal portfolio, features an extensive catalogue of his amazing graphics.

INTERVIEW

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AS A DESIGNER?
In high school I was already making illustrations for a course book. My first official job was in 2001, as a graphic designer and DTP editor of an urban lifestyle magazine. That was also the time I switched from analogue design to computers.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The inspiration for my work comes from everyday life, like the city itself, friends, music (mainly from the 1997-2000 electronic scene from the UK), books, contemporary art, traveling, … I’m also very inspired by my father, who was a multi-disciplined artist.

WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM PROJECT AS AN ARTIST?
The greatest thing is to work for projects in the same scene I’m interested in. For example working for brands that support the underground music scene, urban artists, and things like these.
Another nice example is of course a global collaboration project with great designers around the world, like the current Remix Project for ‘Coke’. It’s always really interesting to see the end results.

HOW DID THE ‘COCA-COLA’ HISTORY AND THEMES INFLUENCE YOUR REMIX WORK?
I tried consciously to use the warm ‘Coca-Cola’ colours, and to focus on positive feelings and shapes in the graphics. The aim was to create something happy and fresh, in line with the iconic ‘Coca-Cola’ images.

WHAT INTERESTS YOU MOST IN ‘THE COKE SIDE OF LIFE’ REMIX PROJECT?
Actually the basic idea of the Remix Project: give a blank canvas to an artist and let him work around a theme. The briefing gave us endless possibilities to experiment. This liberty was the biggest inspiration.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IDEA IN RELATION TO THE “YES IN THE FACE OF NO” THEME?
The “Yes in the face of No” was quite hard to handle, my first feeling was to show the impact of the ‘yes’ and the ‘no’. The ‘yes’ is colourful and positive, and fights with ‘no’ in a friendly way. Of course you always hope that the ‘yes’ will win…

DID IT TAKE LONG TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
It took long years, and the reason is that I’m always open to new things; always trying to create fresh versions of my artworks, trying new directions. Nowadays, I feel there’s a style I’m recognizable for…

CAN YOU SHARE ANY INSIGHTS IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
Ninety percent of my graphic works is planned in my head first and then realized with computer. The basic shapes and the main impulse of each job is based on my experience and style. Then you have to mix concept & style correctly.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
Actually in front of my computer, working on personal projects. Or somewhere in the streets, riding a bike. In luckier cases, I’m abroad!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?
Always simple, pure and fresh.

ARTIST PORTRAIT
Illustrator and designer Simon Oxley lives and operates from his wife’s hometown of Fukuoka, Japan. From 1986 to 1989 Oxley attended college in the UK, studying graphic design, photography, drawing and typography – a solid basis for what he has been doing as a job ever since. In the early 90s he spent a lot of time making pseudo artistic paintings hoping these would become the next big thing and appear in the best galleries worldwide. Sadly, this was not the case and Oxley ended up giving them to friends as Christmas and birthday presents – lucky people!
In 1997 Oxley moved to Japan to work in a design company based in Harajuku. Since 2002, Oxley has run his own design and illustration studio, Idokungfoo, and works for clients from all over the world. His future goals include writing stories which he can illustrate with his famous characters / producing films which include original scores produced by simple means (amateur sound recording equipment and the help of friends) / making new merchandise which features his images / opening a store which offers all Idokungfoo products and all the other things he likes.

INTERVIEW

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AS A DESIGNER?
Since 1989, when I left Graphic design college and found employment at a computer game production company – I designed and artworked the cassette inserts.

DID IT TAKE LONG TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
My personal style changes with the weather. Like many image makers, I am often unhappy with images I made more than 3 or 4 months ago. I appreciate the importance of achieving a unique style in commercial terms – but I am unsure whether I have arrived just yet… It seems to be always work in progress…

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
This is basically something I cannot pin down to one thing….

WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM PROJECT AS AN ARTIST?
It is my goal to own a shop someday, selling strange curiosities which appeal to all ages.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEAS BEHIND YOUR ‘‘COKE’ SIDE OF LIFE’ REMIX POSTERS?
I like to work spontaneously – so just see what happens as I draw. A shape will evoke a direction, as will a word or phrase. I spend a lot of time writing phrases which come to mind – these help to create a story line to guide the visual direction I take.

HOW DID THE ‘COCA-COLA’ HISTORY AND THEMES INFLUENCE YOUR REMIX WORK?
Being 38yrs old I can recall many ‘Coke’ campaigns – Coca Cola is an iconic part of many cultures. I chose the Christmas theme instantly, since I felt my imagery would work best with this festive theme. I also remembered that the common image we have of Santa Claus in the red costume originated from the early ‘Coke’ campaigns – which I still find extraordinary!

CAN YOU GIVE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON YOUR FAVOURITE REMIX ARTWORK?
The large bubble character blowing up out of the top of the bottle is my personal favorite. Maybe it’s the simplicity of form – or just the innocent expression of fun which I like to think ‘Coke’ pursues.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
My wife and I have two young sons, so much of my time is spent playing with them – seeking out natural and cool locations in the mountains or shopping in malls on rainy days. Illustration is not really work for me, I often draw with the children, teaching them at the same time. I also spend a lot of time producing photographic and vector imagery for iStockphoto.com picture library.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IDEA FOR THE INTRINSICS POSTERS YOU DESIGNED FOR ‘COCA-COLA’?
I wanted to make something simple visually – not clutter the space too heavily and risk producing a wallpaper pattern in the triangular area made available above the iconic bottle silhouette.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS A DESIGNER?
I would like to make people feel happy, laugh, become curious, question everything they believe, discover renewed enthusiasm for life and generally feel encouraged by a sense of variety which the world has to offer us.

ANY INSIGHTS IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
Keep thinking and recording thoughts however obscure. Many times an apparently weak idea can work depending upon the method of interpretation. Also, I find it important to take breaks: stay away from computers for a few days sometimes, wander around a fish market, go to the countryside and watch people ploughing fields… basically remove myself from my cozy bubble.

DO YOU START SKETCHING ON PAPER OR DO YOU WORK DIRECTLY ON THE COMPUTER?
I enjoy sketching and brush and ink painting – but only occasionally I scan these in to work from. It is true that the hand drawn line contains way more character than a computer stroke, although the computer stroke has its own personality which I like also. It is easy to manipulate parts of an image to create a result which is not preconceived.

YOUR IMAGERY SEEMS LIKE TO TELL A STORY EACH TIME. DO YOU HAVE THE STORY IN YOUR HEAD FIRST OR DOES IT COME GRADUALLY WHEN YOU START ILLUSTRATING?
I treat all my images as frames in a storyline, but I enjoy the moment before something is about to happen – or an ordinary moment which people may be surprised to find illuminated. I try really hard to empty my head of the piles of past visuals I have buzzing around, trying to influence the story I am making. This is the hard part.

IF THERE WAS AN IDEAL IDOKUNGFOO WORLD, HOW WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
It would be a world covered in fake fur so no-one would get grazed knees ever again falling on concrete. There would be large shiny animated statues of characters everywhere which everyone could climb on, through and over.
Large shopping malls would be leveled to make way for traditional high streets with shops and businesses specializing in one of a kind quality hand made characters and designer goods. And everyone would drink ‘Coca-Cola’ upside down…

‘COKE SIDE OF LIFE’ REMIX VERSION
Here you can see the ‘Coke Side of Life’ Remix versions by Caos CC & RockAndRoll Agency. Life can be beautiful…

ARTIST PORTRAIT
Serge Mienandi was born in 1967 in Brazzaville, Congo. He studied art in the famous Poto-Poto School of Painting in his hometown.
Since its establishment in 1951, this school has been a vital location for the creation, exhibition and sale of African paintings. The school has often been described by critics as historically important and very significant in terms of longevity and widespread influence. The idea of the Poto-Poto School is to save the essential spirit of African art and adapt it to modern life. Inspiration comes from local legends and traditions mixed with today’s reality. Mienandi’s artworks depict village and market scenes of drumming, hunting, dancing and masquerade performances. But he brings also modern subjects as urban culture, cinema, cars and fashion to life. Since 2002, Mienandi lives and works in Dakar, Senegal.

For ‘The Coke Side of Life’ Remix project, Mienandi created 4 paintings in the traditional Poto-Poto style. Here you can see the original artworks.

And this is the final “Coke Side of Life” poster…

ARTIST PORTRAIT
From creating his own comic books as a kid to designing skateboard graphics as a teen, Todd Alan Breland has always been an artist in heart and soul. However, he didn’t know art was going to become his career. “I figured I’d just be a professional skateboarder my whole life. I began to take art more seriously when I got accepted into the Old Donation Center for the Gifted and Talented. My eyes were opened up to a broad range of mixed media : from painting and fresco to illustration. I attended advanced college level art courses in high school, but it wasn’t until I moved to college that I heard the term ‘graphic design’.”
After graduating from college with a BFA in Communication Arts, Todd Alan Breland worked for a handful of firms as a designer, eventually moving up to art director. Those years provided a lot of great experiences, while he learned the ins and outs of the business, working with a team and handling client interaction.
In 2004 Breland started to work as a creative consultant / art director under the moniker IMNY: “I’ve done it all – independent to corporate identities, branding, advertising, editorial (from newspapers to magazines to books), cd’s, posters, apparel and accessories, packaging, gallery shows, art for the web, to even greeting cards.” Breland seeks to bridge the gap between ‘art’ and the wide world of corporate design. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the most amazing and talented people in the industry; artists, agencies and clients alike. But it all boils down to this…simply put…I love what I do.”

INTERVIEW

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AS A DESIGNER?
I graduated from college in 2000 and immediately started working for a local newspaper. Right after, I jumped from that to a small design house and then to a larger corporate firm before going out on my own in 2004. I’ve been going strong solo since (knock on wood

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
My environment as a whole really shapes my work. My friends and family, nature, our environment, everyday people, the news, the food I eat, stress, misery, happiness, … are all factors I believe. Other than that, i just have a strong sense of motivation; that amazing feeling of accomplishment when a project is finished and I’m proud of the outcome.
As far as other art/artists, I’ve always been a huge fan of Alphonse Mucha and Roy Lichtenstein. My love for Mucha’s intricate floral illustrations and Lichtensteins bold imagery and vivid color are really the largest influences in my work.

DID IT TAKE LONG TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
Not particularly. I’ve always had my own style but early on being a designer working corporate I couldn’t really express it in my work. Now that I’m on my own it’s a great feeling to be contacted for work solely because of ‘my’ style. I guess if I had to define my style I would call it ‘pop nouveau.’
The gestural and flowing line movement of art nouveau and the silkscreen stencil work of pop mesh well in my head. I love using bright and vivid color, heavy patterns and layering. I’m fascinated with women too, as they are the subject of most of my work. I love how such a slight change in movement and curves or an expression can manipulate the entire feel of a piece.

ANY INSIGHTS IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I think I can speak for most artists by saying, when you’re feeling creative you have to go with it. Its hard to put a time on creativity. Some days I wake up and its like I’ve stumbled into a whole new universe. I feel innovative and I’m all over the place. Other days I can stare at a blank canvas or mess around for hours and not feel the least bit motivated. Once I do get into my work, there is no method. I usually just play and play until I feel the piece is done. I hate people seeing my work during the interim stages before it’s complete. What they see then, may look completely different 10 minutes later.

DO YOU START SKETCHING ON PAPER OR DO YOU WORK DIRECTLY ON THE COMPUTER?
I keep paper and ink pens handy on my desk because I’ll go back and forth. If I don’t go into a project with a concept already planned out, I’ll sketch around ideas on paper until I come up with a solid direction. Most of my final artwork though is done digitally. It’s still so new to me. I’m 30 now and I didn’t have a computer at home or even in school until college, so I grew up using sketchpads, newsprint, etc for art projects.

MUSIC SEEMS TO HAVE A PROMINENT ROLE IN YOUR WORK. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THAT SCENE?
I believe it’s natural for any artist to reach out into other creative outlets. For me that was being involved in writing music and being in bands. Art, music, fashion and entertainment all go hand in hand. It’s natural for those things to intermix. I think my ‘being in a band’ days are over but I still love creating artwork for others.

WHAT INTERESTS YOU MOST IN ‘THE COKE SIDE OF LIFE’ REMIX PROJECT?
I think what interested me most was the global aspect, having artists with such a variety of styles from all different parts of the world working together. I was really curious to see the interpretations of each artist or agency.

HOW DID THE ‘COCA-COLA’ HISTORY AND THEMES INFLUENCE YOUR REMIX WORK?
Well there’s a constant fun, loving feeling in ‘Coca-Cola’’s advertising. It was very easy for me to reproduce that feeling because it comes so natural to me in my work. The way ‘Coke’ has been pushing art and design into mainstream marketing is incredible. I think they are one of the few large corporations that realizes how much of an impact art has in the world. Being represented by artists like Rauschenberg and Warhol is also a huge influence. Those artists were able to find that perfect balance in their work of enhancing the iconic imagery of ‘Coke’ as well as being a complete reflection of the artists personal style. I like to believe I achieved the same.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEAS BEHIND YOUR POSTERS?
I wanted to avoid any thought process and just evoke feeling. A simple idea with a colorful palette that anyone can understand.

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE IN YOUR REMIX ARTWORK?
Enjoy what you’re doing, always!

IS IT DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH ARTWORKS THAT FIT A THEME?
It can be very difficult if it’s not a theme that naturally flows with the artists’ style. However I think having a graphic design background allows me to be more flexible because I’m accustomed to catering to a clients needs.

WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM PROJECT AS AN ARTIST?
I’m always looking to go ‘bigger.’ I think it’s a lot of artists’ dreams to see their work at a large scale. I’m talking beyond billboards

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS A DESIGNER?
I’d like to use my artwork as a tool to help humanity. I recently did a pro-bono collaboration with the music industry to raise money to fight HIV/aids. I’d love to start a foundation that collaborates with all kinds of artists and creatives to do something on a more global level.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
I wish you could find me laying in a hammock on an island. That’s where I need to be