We’ve recently shown you the Mountain Dew – Green Label Art, Volume III – Limited Edition Art-Inspired Aluminum Bottle Series. Today we want to go deeper and ask UPSO some questions about the GLA. UPSO is a Toledo, OH-based graphic artist, curator and publisher. He has worked with brands such as Kid Robot, MTV and Converse, and his artwork has been displayed in magazines, books and on gallery walls around the world. Since 2001, he has published the critically-acclaimed art magazine, Faesthetic, and has worked as a curator for companies like Threadless and Scion.

“The illustration on this bottle represents not only what it feels like to first drink some Mountain Dew, but also the reaction one might have upon first seeing this unique bottle.”

How did you get involved with this project?
The Dew people hit me up out of the blue close to a year ago with an invite. I of course immediately said “hell yes!”

Were there any specific demands on the bottle design, or were you free to do whatever you wanted?
It was literally a do-whatever-I-wanted-to-do type of project. I sent them a few concepts, and once we agreed on the best one, I went to town.

Where did you pull the inspiration from for your GLA bottle and how does it relate to Mountain Dew?
A lot of my work has body parts included, specifically hands and eyes. I wanted to incorporate that into the bottle, and when I thought about eyes it made sense to have someone sleepy at the bottom of the bottle, and wide awake at the top. The idea is by the time you’ve pounded the bottle of Dew you’re ready to roll.

Aside from your own GLA bottle design and collab gear, who else’s do you really like and why?
I really like Claw Money’s because it pops from far away. It really grabs your attention. But honestly, I’m really stoked on all of the bottles because they are all so different and personal.

When designing for this project, did you work with both the bottle and collab gear in mind? Or did you design specifically for the bottle and then translate it to the gear?
I did the bottle first, but I knew all along my work would have to translate to something else so I kept that in mind.

Are you excited to see your very own Mountain Dew bottle in stores?
My mind is blown every time I think about it. It’s very exciting to be a part of this project.

Any last words?
Thank you Dew!

Links:
dustinhostetler.com
think.faesthetic.com