Hi-C Ecto Cooler – which debuted in 1987 through a promotional tie-in with the blockbuster franchise Ghostbusters – will reappear on May 30 ahead of the movie’s buzzworthy reboot.
Though originally planned as short-lived promotional beverage, Hi-C Ecto Cooler’s immense popularity kept it around for more than a decade. Ever since Hi-C Ecto Cooler was discontinued in 2001, websites dedicated to ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia have consistently name-checked the brand, and a growing legion of social media fan groups have clamored for a comeback. Those communities, fueled by lobbying support from Sony Pictures, convinced The Coca-Cola Company to give the brand a curtain call.
“Hi-C Ecto Cooler fueled a pop culture phenomenon that is well remembered and beloved by fans to this day,” said Charles Torrey, vice president, Minute Maid/Hi-C Brands, Coca-Cola North America. “Sony Pictures was extremely enthusiastic about bringing it back for this special occasion, and the timing of the upcomingGhostbusters film made this the exact right time.”
Thirty years after Ghostbusters took the world by storm, director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy. The cast of the Ghostbusters remake – which hits theaters July 15 – features Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth.
Hi-C Ecto Cooler will be sold in 10-packs of 6-ounce juice boxes and in 6- and 12-packs of 11.5- oz. aluminum cans. The cans, which will be available in select locations including major online retailers, feature thermal ink printing technology that turns an eerie shade of slime green when chilled.
“We’re really excited about these cans,” said Shannon Richmond, brand director, Minute Maid, Coca-Cola North America. “When we decided to re-launch Hi-C Ecto Cooler, we wanted to do more than bring back the nostalgic juice boxes everyone knows… we wanted to offer something new and fun to reward fans who passionately lobbied us to bring back their beloved brand.”
Those who can’t wait to get their hands on the Hi-C Ecto Cooler can enter for a chance to win it before it’s available for purchase by following the brand on Facebook. Click here for official rules and entry details.
A new website – www.ecto.cool – will serve as the official online home of Hi-C Ecto Cooler.
“We’re taking a page from our fans, who’ve been very vocal in the social space and proven the power of social media,” Richmond added. “This will be a highly social campaign that will come to life on Facebook and Twitter, and we’ll work with Sony Pictures on some unique PR activations over the next few months.”
Hi-C Ecto Cooler is not the first discontinued brand Coca-Cola has brought back due to popular demand. SURGE – a citrus-flavored soft drink brand that developed a passionate following when it was on the market between 1996 and 2003 – made itstriumphant return in the fall of 2014. Coca-Cola responded to the persistent efforts of The SURGE Movement – a Facebook community, led by three Millennial males, that lobbied the company to bring back their favorite drink – by re-launching SURGE through a unique e-commerce partnership with Amazon.com. The product eventually made its way back to store shelves and is now available in select stores nationwide.