Last time we featured a food promotion that would have been fairly easy to complete (just four stickers). This time we go to the opposite end of the spectrum for a much more difficult set to finish. The dairy company Yoplait in Spain joined forces with Lucasfilm in 1980 to help promote The Empire Strikes Back. They created a set of 50 unique artwork stickers as a free premium with their yogurts that came in blind packs so you did not know which stickers you would get before opening the container. A lot of yogurt would have to be consumed to get a complete set, which was especially difficult for the lactose intolerant Star Wars fans. Luckily, that particular syndrome had not been invented yet so hypochondriacs did not yet know that they suffered from it and were able to eat their dairy products happily.
All 50 of the stickers featured artwork and were meant to be part of a larger image. A sticker might have art of a ship, a face, or even just a hand holding a blaster. A poster was available with the overall image and blank spots where each of the stickers could be placed to complete the image (and devalue the poster and stickers at the same time). The 24x34 inch poster was divided into four scenes: Hoth, Bespin, Dagobah, and one with similar elements to the theatrical poster artwork. Evidently the artist saw a few different scenes than the rest of us since C-3PO is depicted hanging out on Dagobah.
Part of the fun in collecting food premiums and packaging is that often the artwork used is fresh and unique. Some of the more modern licensed items have tended towards a standardization of images, but food items are usually still distinctive and add a bit of that particular country's flavor to the images. This challenging set of stickers is a great case in point.
Make sure to check out Gus and Duncan's Comprehensive Guide to Star Wars Collectibles, available exclusively online and now shipping!
