"Patron of the arts" isn't a phrase you often hear these days, especially in conjunction with one of the world's largest advertisers. But Coke, in a move that channels its historical connection with artists, has become just that. With a project dubbed M5 (cheekily standing for Magnificent 5) that launched in September and is now in full swing, Coke commissioned five design collectives from five continents to create films and collectible aluminum bottle packaging that interpret the brand's optimism - with no strings attached.

Mick Ebeling, president/EP of The Ebeling Group, says that M5 is a combination of an idea he'd had to bring international artists together for a creative workshop with Coke's desire to create an unbranded "message of optimism". Ebeling brought collectives Lobo (São Paolo), MK12 (Kansas City), Designers Republic (London), Caviar (Tokyo) and Rex & Tennant McKay (Johannesburg) together for the project.

Once briefed, the artists had free reign to create a short film based on optimism that was to be explicitly free of any Coke branding. While they appear as music videos, Ebeling says the tracks were chosen after the films were made. "The music was chosen to match the designers' vision. That ensured that the films came first and everything else was complimentary." The music, supervised by Liza Richardson and Chris Stephenson, includes tracks from The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Towa Tei, Fischerspooner and Citizen Bird.

In addition to the films, each group will create a unique design for Coke's flashy new aluminum bottles, which will be distributed in nightclubs. The first, called "Love Being" from The Designers Republic, has already been released. The project is being launched in three phases and will run through May 2006. And while there has been no official marketing of the campaign, reception has been so positive that there are plans to extend the merchandising to include ancillary products from the films.

M5> www.m5.icoke.com
The Ebeling Group> www.theeblinggroup.com