Since Star Wars made its debut in 1977 the franchise has always been accompanied by a flood of merchandise. Plush toys, action figures, video games and clothes – if you can dream it, it’s probably available in stores. With the release of The Rise of Skywalker just around the corner, you’re bound to see a lot of products related to the movie. But few will probably be as unique as the latest offering from Coca-Cola. The soft-drink giant is offering fans the chance to collect limited edition Star Wars Coca-Cola bottles, featuring lightsabers that glow when you touch the labels.
If you’re wondering if it’s the force that allows the bottles to light up, the answer is (sadly) no. Organic light-emitting diodes, a variation of the same tech that powers the display on your mobile phone, is what brings the lightsabers to life.
This “smart label” tech was created by Inuru, a start-up company in Berlin, Germany. Each Coca-Cola bottle includes a label which features a built-in printed battery and the diodes needed to illuminate it. When you touch the label you complete a circuit, sending an electrical current to the diodes. But each label can only sustain around 500 activations so you’ll have to use the feature sparingly.
The bottles feature two designs – Rey holding a blue lightsaber and Kylo Ren holding a red one. There are only 8000 of these collectables in existence.
Unfortunately, if you want to add these bottles to your Star Wars memorabilia collection, you’ll have to book a trip to Singapore. The bottles are part of Coca-Cola’s “Galactic Hunt” promotion at 7-Elevn stores in the city-state.
Fans in Singapore will need to solve clues (posted on the brand’s social media accounts) to get their hands on the bottles. According to Coca-Cola Singapore, those who successfully solve the riddles will find a “Gatekeeper” secretly positioned at a 7-Eleven store. Winners will then be awarded a pass which they can redeem for a limited edition bottle at the store.
Fans who are lucky enough to get both bottles will definitely be storing them safely next to their Luke Skywalker action figures. Because the only way these collectables will appreciate in value is if they remain in mint condition.
