# Soda Can Labels



## jessamarie6

So I know this is a props question not scenery, but I'm hoping someone here might help me. 
I am working on a show that used about 6 practical soda cans per night. After deciding she didn't like the RC cola we had agreed on, the director decided we should go with Coke. The problem, when I went to buy the Coke I discovered that they have released special commemorative cans for the summer, and the show is set in 1999 so that's a no go. Anyone have any ideas for either a very generic soda that hasn't changed it's label much in 10 years, or a good way to create fake labels without ending up with a "I printed this label out and glued it to this can" look. The audience is really close.
Thanks for any advice you can offer


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## NickJones

Home brand stuff? That doesn't change. It's just simple packaging that would have been the same back in '99.
Nick


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## erichart

Does she not like the flavor of the RC cola, or the label? Because if she doesn't like the flavor, you can buy the Coke cans and put the RC label around it; cut the top and bottom off the can of RC Cola and sleeve it over the can of Coke.
Otherwise, I would think a generic or store brand would be more likely to be the same as it was in 1999, or at least, be unrecognizable to an audience.


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## red1138

I had this problem with practical beer cans for The Full Monty. Solution: I researched some labels online, recreated them in photo shop and then printed them on full size sticker paper, cut it to size, then applied them to a soda can. Looked great from stage.


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## MNicolai

You could also talk to a local bottling company and see how many cans you would have to order and what it might cost to get them to put water into cans with whichever label you'd like on them. It looks perfect because it is. A local theatre company did that recently when they needed specific beer cans but couldn't use alcohol. The solution; real beer cans with water in them. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Van

MNicolai said:


> You could also talk to a local bottling company and see how many cans you would have to order and what it might cost to get them to put water into cans with whichever label you'd like on them. It looks perfect because it is. A local theatre company did that recently when they needed specific beer cans but couldn't use alcohol. The solution; real beer cans with water in them. .....


 

This was going to be my suggestion. Call your local Bottler and ask them to put a bunch of Coke in the Regular Coke cans, shouldn't be a problem for them at all. You may even be able to talk them into donating them to you.


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## ship

Was thinking there was a recent similar post about re-labeling on the subeject about beer cans. Might check into that for options also.


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## BrianWolfe

Hi Jesse,

I have inkjet files for the Coke cans that I have been making for CATS since 1981. I can send if you like. They are 3x lifesize but you can shrink them down pretty easily. I will look to see if I have the original lifesize file. Here is a photo of the can in a scenic panel:

https://www.costumearmour.com/Detail.CFM?Inventory__ID=168


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## Van

ship said:


> Was thinking there was a recent similar post about re-labeling on the subeject about beer cans. Might check into that for options also.


 That may have been from me. When we did *The Seafarer* this season we needed a specifically Irish brand of beer, I don't remember which one. I was able to use my plotter and some Adhesive Backed Photo Paper and make some really nice labels that the prop guy then applied to cans of Sharps, or some other "near Beer"


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## BrianWolfe

Here is the label for a Coke can circa 1981.


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## gafftaper

Way to go NEW GUY!

One other thought. What about using bottles of Coke. You can get the plain bottles that haven't changed in 30 years. They had them at both Sam's Club and Costco a few months ago not sure if they are still there.


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## Van

gafftaper said:


> Way to go NEW GUY!
> 
> One other thought. What about using bottles of Coke. You can get the plain bottles that haven't changed in 30 years. They had them at both Sam's Club and Costco a few months ago not sure if they are still there.


 

[/Hijack]
I hear you can get bottles of Mexican Coke at Costco too. It has real sugar not High Fructose Corn Syrup.
[/Hijack end]


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## Cashwalker

Brian - do you happen to have any other labels like that for diet pepsi of the same era? I'm doing female odd couple.


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## BrianWolfe

Sorry Rob no diet Pepsi. When we first made these for Cats many companies did not want their products associated with a garbage dump and we could not use the products without their permisssion. Coke came in early and actually supplied some of the graphics for us to photographically enlarge for the labels for both their cans and bottles.


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