Diet Coke is launching the second installment of its annual Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge, aiming to discover independent fashion designers across the USA. The participants will be competing for a chance to get their design featured on an exclusive Diet Coke’s T-shirt to arrive at the U.S. Target stores in fall.
The participants are invited to design a print for a T-shirt—the brand asks them to draw inspiration from the original style of Diet Coke’s newest ambassador Taylor Swift. In the 1-minute video, the award-winning singer explains what influences the way she looks and dresses. The designs from the U.S. residents aged 18 and older are accepted on the contest’s page through May 31. Last year, only students of selected design schools could submit their concepts.
The contest’s judges will select 20 most impressive designs that will compete further. The works will be put to a 2-week public vote in June, with only 10 top voted designs to enter the finals. The winning work will be selected by a panel of creative minds, including the representatives of Diet Coke and Target, as well as recognized fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff.
The winner, determined on July 13, will get his or her design printed on a Diet Coke T-shirt that will arrive at Target in fall, a $10,000 cash prize to pursue their creative endeavors, and a fly-away trip to meet Swift during one of her final U.S. RED Tour concerts. The two runner-ups will receive $2,500, while the other 17 finalists will walk away with $250 each.
On the page of the contest, designers can find the starter kit with the brand guidelines and the T-shirt template. The hub also features 10 lovely designs from the inaugural season. The winning work of 2012, a mysterious woman in a red trench coat, was created by Gustavo Alonso, a design student at Miami International University of Art and Design. The highlights from the Season 1 also include photos from the promotional activations.
“The Diet Coke brand is the epitome of style, and I’m delighted to be involved in this unique design challenge as a judge,” commented 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.”