What Happened to Star Wars Episode I Pepsi Collection?

Star Wars Episode I Pepsi Collection was Pepsi’s blockbuster 1999 promotional campaign for _The Phantom Menace_. In the U.S., collectors chased 24 different character cans (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, et al.), each printed with a small “secret word.” When assembled, those words formed three hidden phrases, turning a soda tie-in into a full-blown puzzle hunt. The campaign also seeded rare gold Yoda cans tied to instant-win cash prizes and created region-specific packaging in markets like Germany and Japan, spawning parallel collecting scenes.

For fans, the set became a summer-long quest: trading doubles, scanning grocery endcaps, and negotiating with convenience stores for fresh shipments. It hit at the peak of prequel hype, with TV spots, in-store displays, and theater promotions driving frenzy. Because the run was strictly time-boxed to 1999, complete sets stayed scarce, while mint cartons and display flats became the crown jewels. Today, the collection sits at the intersection of ’90s soda ephemera and Star Wars memorabilia—still active on eBay, in Facebook groups, and in convention bins. Search demand endures around “1999 Pepsi Star Wars cans,” “Episode I collectibles,” and “gold Yoda can,” keeping this promotion firmly in nostalgia’s hall of fame.