Diet Coke Partners with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to Celebrate Extraordinary Young Talent

• Fashion designers Zac Posen, L’Wren Scott and Cynthia Rowley to choose winner of Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge; Fans select finalists at DietCoke.com/Design
• Winning T-shirt design available at Target stores nationwide

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Designing a T-shirt is one thing, but designing a T-shirt that catches the eye of designers Zac Posen, Cynthia Rowley and L’Wren Scott and seeing it in the aisles of Target stores across the country? Now that’s extraordinary.

Diet Coke and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) today announced a partnership to give talented design students an extraordinary portfolio boost – a chance to have their design featured at Target stores nationwide.

The three fashion-forward brands will celebrate up-and-coming talent through the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge, a new competition searching for the next official Diet Coke T-shirt to inspire creative, extraordinary individuals everywhere.

“The CFDA is an authoritative voice in the world of fashion and style, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner for the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge,” said William White, Group Director Brand Diet Coke, Coca-Cola North America. “With their support, one up-and-coming design student will have an extraordinary opportunity to launch his or her career in the world of fashion.”

Adding to the excitement, the winning T-shirt design will be selected by some of the biggest names in fashion, including Vince Voron, associate Vice President, Strategic Design and Integrated Marketing Content, Coca-Cola North America, creative experts from Target and luminary designers Zac Posen, Cynthia Rowley and L’Wren Scott.

These leading style and fashion experts will select the winning design from a pool of 10 finalists, who will be chosen based on an online vote.

Through June 18, visitors to DietCoke.com/Design will be able to cast their vote for the T-shirt design they believe best represents the multi-dimensional and aspirational Diet Coke brand. The 20 designs in the running are the creations of the following design students, and were pre-selected from submissions by sophomores and juniors at CFDA partner colleges:

• Gustavo Alonso, Miami International University of Art and Design, Miami, Fla.
• Florencia Chaves, Parsons The New School for Design, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Mackenzie Gaudette, Miami International University of Art and Design, Miami, Fla.
• Marianne Grobman, Miami International University of Art and Design, Aventura, Fla.
• Sarah Humphries, Savannah College of Art and Design, Tampa, Fla.
• Adele Jackson, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• Kelly Jenkins, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Toni-Marie Koulos, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Xenia Lally, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Ga.
• Zi Lin, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Ga.
• Katherine Owen, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Ga.
• Danielle Perret, Parsons The New School for Design, New York, N.Y.
• Raquel Reyes, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Ga.
• Victoria Schermerhorn, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• Brianna Scherlock, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• Kayla Speedy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Renee Tomic, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• Florencia Torlaschi, Miami International University of Art and Design, Tamarac, Fla.
• Logan Treacy, Savannah College of Art and Design, Charlotte, N.C.
• Mengdi Wu, Parsons The New School for Design, New York, N.Y.

In addition to having his or her design available in Target stores nationwide this September, the grand-prize winner also will receive a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to New York City in September to experience the rush of a week of high fashion.

“Diet Coke is an exciting and stylish brand, and we are pleased to be a partner in this unique design challenge,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “We’re always looking for ways to support the next generation of fashion designers, and this will be an amazing accomplishment for a student to put on a resume before he or she even graduates!”

People who vote for their favorite T-shirt design over the next two weeks will have the opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to New York City this September to get a fresh dose of style inspiration during a week of fashion events this fall.

The grand-prize winner of the contest will be announced in August. To encourage the talented finalists to continue chasing their passions, two runners-up selected by the judging panel will each receive $2,500 scholarships, and the remaining 17 finalists will each receive $250 scholarships.

The winning design will appear in the soft drink aisle in select Target stores nationwide beginning September 3.

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 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 the CFDA

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc, (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962 that leads industry-wide initiatives and whose membership consists of more than 400 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers. In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, which recognize the top creative talent in the industry, the organization offers programs which support professional development and scholarships, including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the Geoffrey Beene Design Scholar Award, the Liz Claiborne Scholarship Award, the CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship, and the Gilt All Star Scholarship. Member support is provided through the Business Services Network, a high-profile group of companies offering designers strategic opportunities. The CFDA Foundation, Inc. is a separate, not-for-profit organized to mobilize the membership to raise funds for charitable causes. Through the Foundation, the CFDA created and manages Fashion Targets Breast Cancer; raises funds for HIV/AIDS organizations with 7th on Sale; addresses the issue of model health with The CFDA Health Initiative; and is a key participant in other programs such as the annual Fashion’s Night Out. For more information, please visit www.CFDA.com, facebook.com/cfda, twitter.com/cfda, cfda.tumblr.com, and youtube.com/cfdatv.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,763 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.

The Coca-Cola Company
Kerry Tressler, 404-676-3676
ketressler@na.ko.com

Source: The Coca-Cola Company

Released June 15, 2012