Red Bull + Skrillex
Client
We’ve been fans of Red Bull since day one when they changed the game in energy drinks. They not only make one of the most popular energy drinks on the market, but they also “give wings” to people and ideas, setting milestones in sports and culture. Red Bull enlisted us to honor the collaborative journey through the years between the company and six time Grammy winning DJ/producer, Skrillex.
Challenge
Skrillex is someone very special to Red Bull’s heart, so we were ecstatic to be on board with designing a one-of-a-kind gift for the artist — in the form of a chair. This wasn’t to be any ordinary chair, but a piece of functional art; a one-of-a-kind seat that honored Skrillex’ creativity and spoke to the ongoing collaboration he and the Red Bull team navigated together.
Results
With consideration for Skrillex’ personal inspiration and aesthetics, combined with the adventurous spirit of the Red Bull brand, we developed the concept of the“heart of the machine”. We saw a hybrid of technology and raw emotion that drives creativity and music. Referencing spacecraft and incorporating hidden objects via various secret compartments, we created a chair that possesses a feeling of timelessness and embodies the ultimate journey that creativity is. We created the chair to represent an inner-galactic expedition, but one that has the power to reach and influence the world. The design began with this concept and quickly poured over into sketchbooks, CAD programs and personal studios of three artists and our fabrication team. Each artist interpreted the poetry of “heart of the machine” via imaginative conceptual sketches, refined and transformed into technical drawings and fabrication guidelines. The idea grew beyond merely a chair, and we incorporated handmade gifts hidden inside various secret compartments within the chair, providing an additional layer of story and expansion of the main concept in inherent artistry. EAT is committed to working with talented artisans, so to turn our visual design into reality, we worked with a full-service scenic engineering and fabrication shop to create the chair, providing technical drawings and sketches, material direction, artwork, and production management along the way. With our feedback and heavy involvement during every milestone of the production process, this one-of-a-kind piece came to fruition. Skrillex' assistant commented that we produced “the gift of the year” and that the spaceship chair is still sitting in his living room proudly displayed. Every once in a while you can catch a glimpse of our creation in his Snapchat stories.
Thank you team EAT for delivering this custom gift beyond anyone's expectations. I had no idea where to start with the concept for the actual design and you guided me through a very clear process and path, delivering mood boards and design studies that immediately made me realize you just get it! You worked fast but still managed to make me feel included and updated every step of the way. Your creative team are true artists. It's clear you all love what you do through all the added surprise elements in the chair that went above the call of duty. Skrillex loves the gift and it truly captured the spirit of our partnership over the years. Mission accomplished. Thanks!
Monica Glass
Red Bull
Services
Graphic Design