Ecto Cooler is probably the strangest product in the history of marketing tie-ins. Intended only to be on the shelves as long as The Real Ghostbusters was on the air, instead the green, citrusy sugar water endured for more than a decade before Slimer finally got busted by marketing executives. But now, he appears to be coming back, thanks to Paul Feig’s re-imagining of the franchise.
Contrary to popular belief, Ecto Cooler, or at least a drink very much like it, didn’t go off the market until 2007. Hi-C simply changed the brand name and let the trademark for Ecto Cooler lapse. Until now, fans had been forced to reverse-engineer it in order to get that sweet orange/tangerine goodness, but a can that turned up on eBay indicates it might be coming back.
The listing claims that the can is a marketing mockup somebody received as part of a wider promotion. And that would be consistent with what we know, namely that Coca-Cola renewed the trademark after a few decades. The can is fairly reminiscent of the original package, right down to using the original, cheesy ’80s photos of produce, but of course has a few modern touches thanks to government regulation:
As to whether or not it’s real, it might be a very elaborate fake, but that seems unlikely. Reviving the beloved drink is about the most obvious tie-in you can get short of plush Slimers, and guarantees everybody who ever had a box of the stuff is going to rush out and see if childhood nostalgia mixes well with vodka. There’s no release date confirmed yet, but don’t be surprised if Ecto Cooler is back on the shelves soon.
(Via eBay)
