Godzilla, a beloved character who’s spent more than 70 years as the reigning “king of the monsters,” is getting its globally recognized face emblazoned on Pabst Blue Ribbon cans.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, Toho International and PBR revealed the designs, which notably center on the work of Cuban-American artist Peter Santa-Maria, a.k.a. Attack Peter, MONDO’s senior creative director. All told, more than 60 million PBR cans and boxes are set to get the Godzilla-ified treatment, complete with four original images done in Attack Peter’s signature hard-carved linoleum block print style.
“Bringing the legendary Godzilla character into PBR’s world is massive on its own, but teaming up with Attack Peter on the designs completely leveled this partnership up,” Rachel Keeton, Sr. Brand Director at Pabst Blue Ribbon, said. “His style and process of hand-carving these illustrations continues to push the boundaries of what the PBR art series is all about.”
Starting in October, PBR cans and packaging will feature the designs, with 25-ouncers further distinguished with a trio of additional designs from the artist. Meanwhile, a limited run of PBR cans will also boast the unique “blue atomic breath effect,” which sees the can turning blue when hitting the ideal temperature for enjoyment.
“The King of the Monsters has smashed open so many doors for me and today is a continuation of that epic journey!” Attack Peter said of the collaboration in a statement shared with Complex. “I’m so incredibly fortunate to work alongside Toho International and Pabst Blue Ribbon to bring my linoleum block print designs honoring Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah from my studio in Miami into your coolers, parties and anywhere else that calls for a monster sized celebration!”
Meanwhile, Kristin Parcell, General Manager of Toho International, said the partnership allows them "to engage fans in a fresh and dynamic way."
Below, get a closer look at the Godzilla x PBR cans and packaging before it crashes onto shelves this fall.
Attack Peter recently designed a piece for the rollout of Mike P. Nelson’s Sweet Revenge, a Jason Voorhees-featuring short film released as part of a larger celebration of the Friday the 13th franchise’s 45th anniversary.
The artist’s Godzilla-featuring PBR collaboration stands as the lager beer’s latest update to its ongoing art can series. In the past, the series has included contests aimed at designers looking to “design the next PBR art can.” Per reps, PBR has thus far featured original art work on hundreds of millions of cans of its beer.