So, you’re craving some Fanta. You go into the nearest store, open up the fridge that contains those brightly colored soda drinks you’ve been dying for, and then you rush to the cash register. You’re outside now, opening the bottle to down some of that sweet orange or yellow drink.
You throw your head back to let it flow, and you close your eyes to savor it. And then, you open your eyes just enough to see something you didn’t expect, and it scares you a little: The Grabber from Black Phone is starting back at you, his hand ready to clutch at you and take you into his haunted basement.
This is but one of the modern horror icons that Blumhouse will be plastering on Fanta bottles and cans this Halloween season, the result of a special collaboration that will highlight the production company’s most recent heavy hitters.
The Grabber will be joining M3gan, Chucky, and Freddy Fazbear from Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 for this limited-edition Halloween collection. For an added dose of excitement, fans can seek out Chucky’s custom flavor, Chucky’s Punch (berry flavor). Expect these characters to show up on Fanta packaging everywhere from September of this year through October.
Using soda cans and bottles for promotion is nothing new, but there’s been an uptick recently with more popular characters gracing their surfaces. Coca-Cola just had The Avengers on its products, their faces prominently on display to entice collectors. Currently, it’s Star Wars who’s been running with promotional responsibilities, showcasing classic characters and space vehicles on Coke cans and bottles.
In the 1980s, the Ghostbusters movies got the same treatment, albeit with a few twists on the formula. Depending on the geographical region, Coca-Cola would sell 8-packs that could net buyers a special Slimer-themed can. It was always empty, claiming it held a ghost inside. Allegedly, Australian Coke drinkers would get a chance to win a trip to the United States if they landed one of them.
Slimer also made it to the kid-favorite Hi-C juice boxes. Known as the Ecto Cooler juice box, it was a green-colored drink that had an orange and tangerine mix in it. It launched back in 1989 and was considered a success with its target audience. It was discontinued in November 2016, but it has been brought back since for limited periods of time.
These types of promos aren’t just there to hype up new movies and sequels. They also work towards pushing certain characters to become household names. Exposition makes it harder for people to forget a face, a design, or a new monicker. Scream’s Ghostface, for instance, rose to iconic status not just because the movie was a critical and box office hit. Once it hit cinemas, the mask was easy to spot just about everywhere, from Halloween mask stores to beer commercials.
The mask itself was not an original creation for Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher. It was first developed by the Fun World costume company back in the early 90s for novelty stores. It was discovered by the film’s producer Marianne Maddalena while scouting locations. Before it became the Ghostface mask, it was referred to as “The Peanut-Eyed Ghost” mask.
Fanta is giving Blumhouse a lot of brand exposition here. It’s always a bit strange seeing some of cinema’s most sadistic killers on soda cans, but it is never unwelcome because of how much fun they offer to audiences looking for a little escapism. So, if you prefer to mix fear with your fizzy drinks, don’t be afraid to take Chucky up on that Fanta he promised you behind the convenience store. I don’t think he’s the type of guy to pull a knife on you just because, right?
