Is Star Wars Episode I Pepsi Collection Discontinued? What Happened?

Star Wars Episode I Pepsi Collection was a set of collectible soda cans that Pepsi made to promote the movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999.

There were 24 different cans in the US set. Each one showed a different character from the movie. Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and Mountain Dew all had cans in the collection. What made it more than a regular movie promotion was a puzzle hidden across all the cans. Every can had a small secret word printed on it somewhere. If you collected all 24 and found all the words, they came together to spell out three hidden phrases.

That puzzle turned buying soda into a collecting game. Kids and fans spent the summer looking for cans they did not have yet, trading doubles with friends, and checking stores for new shipments. Some cans were harder to find than others, which made completing the set a real challenge.

On top of the puzzle, Pepsi also made a small number of special gold cans. These were instant-win prize cans that could be worth cash. Finding a gold Yoda can was the biggest prize in the promotion.

The campaign also had versions in other countries. Germany and Japan had their own packaging with some different designs, which created separate sets for collectors in those markets.

The promotion ran only during 1999, timed to the release of The Phantom Menace. Once it ended, the cans stopped being made. People who held onto full sets, unopened cases, or store display boxes found that other collectors wanted them. The cans still show up at conventions and on eBay today.