The Italian coffee brand illy, which infuses coffee with art in its bespoke Art Collection, is extending the range of artist cups and saucers with a new limited-edition piece, created by celebrated Bombay-born sculptor Anish Kapoor, who’s been living in London for 40 years. The artist, known for his giant projects such as his huge Leviathan intallation in Paris or Cloud Gate in Chicago, this time switched to tiny sizes, but still applied his unparalleled approach and signature style to designing the cup. Just like most of his creations, the new illy coffeeware has a metallic touch and is dedicated to blending emptiness/fullness and external/ internal in one piece.

Cars, along with bottles and shoes, often become canvases for artistic experiments. The fleet of vehicles, transformed into vividly coloured pieces of art is now joined by Ford Focus, which got a graffiti makeover, executed by six artists in Glasgow on August 22. The car featuring one-of-a-kind imagery was created during 6-hour session and will be displayed for the next month at the city’s Independent Recoat Gallery, as part of the Ford Centenary Tour, the exhibit of 10 models, which represent the brand’s 100-year history in the UK.

PUMA, the brand well-known for combining social activity and filmmaking, is presenting films, created for the World Peace Festival 2011 in Berlin (August 20-27). The seven videos shot by international filmmakers, both celebrated and emerging, are revolving around the same idea—‘peace starts with me’ and were created under the PUMA.Peace program, launched by the brand to promote nonviolent attitudes across the globe.

For decades, IKEA has been dedicated to helping its consumers all around the globe create chick interiors. But sometimes it also steppes out of ‘the home zone’ and teams up with art representatives to introduce hilarious art exhibitions and projects, rooting in or revolving around furniture design—last year, the brand ‘planted’ a ‘Surrealistika’ tree and launched the ‘Garderob’ initiative, inviting clothing designers to showcase their collection in wardrobe mini-shops. Today, August 18, the internationally renowned Swedish retailer is launching the exhibitIKEA in Toronto—the project is developed in collaboration with leading women’s fashion designer David Dixon, celebrated fashion & design photographer George Whiteside, acclaimed sculptor Bruno Billio and Thrush Holmes, popular artist, painter & owner of Thrush Holmes Empire. The exhibit features a number of vivid and vibrant pieces inspired by the IKEA styles and products.

Coca-Cola has been a muse for a range of other brands and used as a canvas for creative imaginary by celebrated artists and fashion icons. The legendary drink and its red and white style has become the theme of the eighth edition of the Uniqlo’s UT Grand Prix T-shirt design contest. Designs inspired by Coca-Cola are accepted starting August 4 through September 12—the submissions from all around the globe will be judged by a panel of experts in the design industry and be unveiled for online voting. The winners will receive money prizes and get their designs implemented on tees, which will arrive at Uniqlo’s venues worldwide in spring 2012.