The reboot of Ghostbusters has led to a relaunch of one of the more infamous soft drinks of the 1980s and 90s: Hi-C Ecto Cooler.
The drink launched in 1987 to tie in with The Real Ghostbusters cartoon, but proved such as success that it outlasted the series by a decade, ceasing production in 2001.
It was a classic piece of branded marketing as it was simply a new name for a 20-year-old drink originally known as Citrus Cooler. It worked because the distinctive and not exactly natural green color and somewhat gloopy nature meant it could easily be imagined as resembling the ectoplasm in the movie and cartoon.
Some fans even attempted to recreate the drink after its disappearance, with one of the best homebrew recipes involving a mix of lemonade, sugar, food coloring, Kool Aid and, making up just under 10 percent of the volume, orange juice.
To add to the gimmick, the relaunched Ecto Cooler will come not only in 6-ounce carton form, but also as multi-packs of 11.5 ounce cans which are coated in a thermal ink that turns “ecto” green when the can is chilled.
The drink itself will largely be the same. Manufacturers Coca-Cola say the original range of sweeteners will be replaced with just high-fructose corn syrup, but the mix and balance of the other ingredients will be adjusted to keep the distinctive tart flavor.